An Abnormal Friendship
by Oturan Namikaze
Summary: They say that a chance meeting can leave a powerful impact on one's life, shaping the way they turn out and the people around them. But the meeting of three certain toddlers causes destiny to alter its course slightly as these childhood friends strive to leave their mark on the world. Follow Naruto Uzumaki, Medaka Kurokami and Zenkichi Hitoyoshi in this 3-Chapter Story!
1. Jinchūriki Meets an Abnormal and Normal

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Medaka Box or Naruto. Those rights belong to Nisio Isin & Akira Akatsuki and Masashi Kishimoto respectively. I also don't own any other anime or its characters that might appear in this story. This story is a Three-Shot, meaning there will only be three chapters, and there will be some differences from the original materials of both Anime/Manga. So without any delay. Sit back, relax and enjoy the story._**

People Speaking: "You don't become Hokage to be acknowledged by everyone."

People Thinking: _'It's the people acknowledged by everyone that become Hokage.'_

_Monster/Demon Speaking:_ **"People don't exist to follow rules."**

Monster/Demon Thinking:** '_Rules exist to protect the people.'_**

Techniques or Abnormality Names: **"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"**

Chapter 1

Whiskered Jinchūriki Meets an Abnormal Girl and a Normal Boy

"So, this is the infamous Hakoniwa General Hospital that had been addressed in our report… It certainly looks more like a normal hospital than what I expected." A man in his late fifties said to himself as he stood at the gated entrance of the large building in front of him. The man had tan-skin and dark brown hair that was spiked back slightly with a small, marching goatee on his slightly gaunt face, with a hint of wrinkles starting to form that seemed to promote his old age. Along with the small wart that was present on his left nostril, the man had two lines running vertically under the outer corners of each eye. He was currently wearing a haori with a red, full-length yukata that is tied using a white sash and a white robe over it, and hanging on his back thanks to chord over his neck was a matching customary hat with the kanji for fire on it.

"Is this another bad hospital?" Hearing a younger voice speak up next to him, the man looked down at the spiky, blonde haired toddler holding his hand with a fearful look present on the child's face.

He had spiky sun-kiss blonde hair, a tanned complexion and three whisker-like marks on each cheek of his face. The boy was wearing long sleeve green shirt and a white t-shirt over it, with a red spiral emblem over the chest, black shorts that reached just below his knees and black shinobi sandals.

A small frown formed on the man's face as he felt the tiny hand tremble in his larger one, before bending down to the child's lever and flashing him a reassuring smile. "Don't you worry yourself, Naruto-kun. No one here is going to hurt you."

"… You promise?" The three-year old Naruto questioned as he stared up at the man who was a grandfather to him, despite not being his real grandparent.

"I promise," The man said while closing his eyes to complete the warm smile on his face. "And after we finish up here, how about we go for some ice cream?"

"Really~?!" All the fear on Naruto's face instantly vanished at the mention at the tasty desert. "Can I have extra sprinkles and cherries?"

"Why not… But remember, you have to be a good boy while we are here."

"Hokage-sama." A second voice interrupted the two, making them turn to see a masked man with spiky silver hair standing a few feet behind them, the porcelain canine mask with red and black markings around the eyes, sides, and mouth symbolizing his position as an Anbu, code-named Dog, and a bodyguard for the two he was with. He was wearing a simple blue suit with a grey flak jacket over it, strapped-up sandals and arm guards that went up to his elbows, and a tattoo resembling a red flame on his left deltoid. "You meeting should be starting soon."

"… Yes, I suppose it is time." The Hokage replied as a serious expression replaced the smile on his face, returning to his feet as he turned back to face the hospital building. "All of the other Kages and Mifune-sama are meeting leaders of the other five habitable continents, and I must do the same with the people of this one."

"I have to ask though, why would they suggest meeting on this island next to it? And why a hospital of all things?" The Anbu questioned as the three made their way to the front doors of the building, where a small group of people could be seen approaching it from the inside.

"Apparently, three of the men we are meeting have business here and felt it would be better to discuss matters here." Seeing the glass doors open, the older man narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the opposing group come up to the three before whispering one last thing to the Anbu, low enough that the people greeting them couldn't hear it. "Apparently this Kurokami Group has a strong pull, along with two men named Shiranui and Tsurubami, the latter being the director to this very facility. All of the continents have hundreds of leaders running the different regions and areas, yet it seems like these men are like Danzō and have a large impact on the world from the sidelines. Which means that they will be playing part in this peace treaty as well. Keep a sharp eye on the situation, Dog."

"Yes sir."

Neither men noticed Naruto glance up at them with confusion at hearing their whispers.

"Hello, you must be one of the Five Kages from the Elemental Nations, Hiruzen Sarutobi-sama." A female voice spoke up from within the small group greeting them, surprising Naruto upon seeing an older girl in her teens with strawberry-blond hair wearing a doctor's coat over a yellow dress. "I am Hitomi Hitoyoshi, one of the doctors who work here. Let me be one of the first to welcome you and your group to Japan. I hope the trip wasn't too troubling for you."

"Not at all. I've still got plenty of years left in me to travel, especially if it's on a mission to promote peace." Sarutobi replied with a good hearted smile on his face, "I am surprised to see someone so young to be one of leading doctors of this hospital."

"Haha, don't let my appearance fool you! I'm actually close to turning 30 soon!" Hitomi laughed as she brushed off her own comment, before taking notice to the toddler at his side. Naruto quickly took noticed to this before pulling his hand out of Sarutobi's grip before hiding behind the Hokage. "And who is this? I wasn't expecting us to be hosting your grandson as well."

"Oh, no, he isn't my grandson. Naruto is someone from my village that I keep an eye on from time to time. Unfortunately, he is an orphan, so I thought a trip like this would do him good." Sarutobi explained with a small amount of truth in his words, though there was more to the situation as he feared for Naruto's safety if he were to leave the village for a long period of time.

With his old rival, Danzō, attempting to have the two year old join his ANBU Root Subdivision, and the boy's former caregiver's secret attempt on his life as he slept, Sarutobi didn't want to take the chance. The truth was that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't just any orphan, he was actually a Jinchūriki, a human container of a powerful nine-tailed fox creature known as the Kyuubi, a creature that nearly destroyed their village, Konohagakure, on the day of his birth. It was thanks to the sacrifice of his deceased successor, the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's parents, that the beast was stopped and sealed away. It had been Minato and Kushina's wishes that Naruto be seen as a hero… but the destruction and deaths caused by the Kyuubi was still fresh in the minds of the survivors, some of them even calling for the death of the newborn. It was only thanks to those that knew the truth of Naruto's origins and Sarutobi retaking the title of Hokage that kept the boy safe, physically at least. A large percentage of the village ostracized the boy and wanted nothing to do with him, there were many times when parents did everything they could to keep their child away from Naruto, isolating the boy even more. It honestly broke the old man's heart to see the two year old's crying face when he was left by himself in the middle of a playground.

"He's an orphan, huh? Such a terrible shame…" Naruto wasn't sure how to process the look the apparently older woman was sending his way as he stared back at her from behind the Hokage's coat, only to blink in surprise as he felt himself being picked up with two arms wrapping around his small form followed by a cheek rubbing affectionately against his. "He's so adorable~! He reminds me of my little Zen-chan~! Only with whiskers like a cat, no wait… more like a fox!"

"U-Um, I, Wai-!" Whatever the blonde was about to say was instantly halted as he felt one of Hitomi's hands reached up to his exposed cheek and brushed against it gently, causing his body to freeze up for a few seconds before it instantly relaxed. And what he did next made Hitomi pause her actions.

"… He just purred… That's even cuter!" Hitomi stated as she continued to rub Naruto's birthmarks, much to the boy confused pleasure.

The outside viewers such as Dog and Hitomi's associates couldn't help but sweatdrop at the scene, with Dog's body relaxing as he saw that nothing bad was happening to the blonde toddler. Sarutobi himself could help but chuckle at how the woman was acting with Naruto, a feeling of relief and contentment at seeing the boy finally being treated with such affection.

"Um… Hitoyoshi-san…" The youthful looking woman paused in her actions at the sound of one of her colleagues, who had an uneasy look on his face as he took a step closer to her and Naruto. "Don't you think we should direct the Hokage to where the Director and the other leaders are located? If we delay things any longer…"

"I suppose you're right." Hitomi replied with a disappointed tone, the toddler in her arms snapping out of his daze upon realizing that his cheeks were no longer being rubbed, something that he had never experienced before, as well as the comforting hold that the woman had on him. "My apologies for holding you up. If you follow these men, they'll lead you to Building 4 where the Chairman usually sets up his meetings. Most of the Leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers have already gathered there."

"So many different kinds of leaders, all of them from various parts of Asia." Dog started with a guarded voice. "It's hard to believe that they all managed to fit in this one hospital, especially with the security needed for such an important meeting."

Hitomi smiled as she released Naruto from her embrace, saddening the boy as the loss of the warm feeling going through him, "This isn't the first time that we have had numerous leaders come here for secure meetings. I can guarantee that nothing will happen to any of you during your stay here."

"Thank you very much… I don't suppose you have somewhere Naruto can stay while I am attending the meeting?" Sarutobi asked with his focus on the small woman in front of him, keeping a straight look on his face as he noticed the look of alarm on Naruto's face at the question.

"Of course, we actually have a nursery where the staff can leave their children while they work their shifts." Hitomi replied with a smile on her face, "I can actually take him there myself if you want."

"But Jii-chan!" Naruto went up to the old man's side, grabbing a bunch of the Hokage robe in his tiny hands. "What if you leave and something bad happens again?!"

"Huh?" The loli-looking doctor blinked in confusion at that and quickly took notice to the terrified look on the boy's face. As a trained, doctor and a Psychosomatic Surgeon specializing in children and young teens, Hitomi instantly began mentally studying the boy's appearance and noted that there were various parts of Naruto's tiny figure that looked to have been remodeled or skin that was still tender from recovered bruises. _'… That's more than just a scared two year old who's afraid of a hospital… He actually thinks that this place will hurt him for no reason. Is it possible that he's been abused both physically and mentally? Is that why the Hokage brought such a young boy with him? To keep him safe?'_

"Nothing will happen to you Naruto, I promised you, didn't I?" The Hokage replied as he patted the boy's head, before glancing over at his Anbu escort, who nodded his head as he lifted his hands and crossed his fingers over his chest. To Hitomi's surprise and the shock of the other staff members, a puff of smoke appeared alongside the silver-haired masked man, before dispersing quickly to reveal a second Dog standing next to the original. "Dog's clone will watch over you, and you know he won't let anything bad happen to you."

Naruto turned his head to over at the Anbu, one of the few that was actually very nice to him and helped him out with a lot of things like shopping for food or watching over the boy so no one would try anything. The strange thing was that when Naruto had asked him why he was so nice, Dog went silent before replying that it was because a promise he had made with a scary tomato to keep an eye him. For a toddler the age of 3, the answer only raised more questions, but Naruto quickly learned that Dog was someone who he could trust.

"That is amazing!"

"So this is one of those Jutsus that can only be used by people from the Elemental Nations!?"

_'… Incredible…'_ Hitomi thought to herself as she stared up at the clone, her eyes widened at the sight. With her position at the hospital and her cooperation with the special 'project' that involved a unique type of humans known as Abnormals, she had come across all sorts of abilities that were believed to be impossible. But here, in front of her, was a new type of Human that come from an originally unreachable continent with an unconceivable energy source known as Chakra… It was scary to think what some groups out there would be capable of if they somehow acquired this power for themselves. The tiny woman quickly dismissed these thoughts with a shake of her head, before taking a few steps closer to Naruto. "You don't have to be scared Naruto-kun~! The nursery has all sorts of toys and fun activities that you can play with! My son is there right now!"

"Y-Your son?" Naruto repeated as he turned his head to look at the smiling doctor, keeping his hands clenched on Sarutobi's robes.

Hitomi nodded her head as she held out a hand to the toddler, "That's right! His name is Zenkichi and he's going to be three in a few months. The other staff members that have children didn't bring them in today, so he's got the whole place to himself. I'm sure he'd enjoy having you with him!"

"… R-Really?" This time, the blonde toddler turned around fully to look at Hitomi, disbelief and hesitation present on his face. "I… I can play with him? And you won't get mad?"

"Mad? Of course not! I'd love it if you both could become friends and have fun together!" Taking one of Naruto's free hands into hers with a soft grip, the warm smile on Hitomi's face only grew as she gently pulled him away from Sarutobi. "So what do you say? Wanna meet him?"

"U... Uh-huh…" Nodding his head at the question, Naruto was in a daze as Hitomi began leading him down a hallway.

"… She certainly knows how to deal with children, doesn't she?" Dog commented as he nodded his head at his clone, to which his copy mirrored before vanishing from sight.

One of the other staff members chuckled at that, "There is no one at this hospital better than her when it comes to children, especially with such a sincere and comforting heart like hers. You can trust that boy with Dr. Hitoyoshi." Beckoning towards the opposite hallway with his arm, the man and the security motioned for the two Shinobi to follow them towards the meeting room. "Now if you would follow us, everyone is waiting for you."

"Yes, thank you." Sarutobi's face was blank as he watched the two walk away, but mentally the man was glad that Naruto was going to have a pleasant experience while they were there and a chance to make a new friend. Just another reason why he had to make sure that the peace summit with the other six continents went smoothly.

**(Hakoniwa General Hospital Nursery)**

"Here we are!" Hitomi cheerfully said as she and Naruto walked into the nursery.

Naruto was silent as he scanned the colorful room, taking notice to all the designs and drawings taped to the walls, the cupboards filled with all sorts of toys, coloring tools and papers, and blankets. His attention soon focused on a small form wearing an orange hoodie in the center of the room, surrounded with all sorts of toys and currently putting together a picture puzzle. A strange feeling built up in the young Uzumaki as he remained rooted in his spot, even as he watched Hitomi make her way towards the small figure.

"Zenkichi-kun!" The woman greeted with a large smile on her face, causing the hoodie wearing boy to spin around at the familiar voice.

With the hood only showing his mouth, a smile could be seen forming on the boy's face as he got up to his feet and ran up to Hitomi, "Okaa-san!"

Reaching up a hand and pushing the hoodie off her son's head, Naruto could see that the two year old looked like Hitomi with strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes. "Have you been good?"

"Uh-huh! I've been working on puzzles!" Zenkichi answered, before blinking as he glanced over his mother's shoulder and saw a silent Naruto staring back at him. "Who's that?"

"This is Naruto-kun," Hitomi introduced as she brought her son closer to the sun-kissed blonde toddler, "He's going to be waiting here for his grown-ups to finish doing stuff."

Removing himself from his mother's hold, Zenkichi walked up to Naruto with a smile before holding his hand out. "Hi there! I'm Zenkichi Hitoyoshi!"

"I… I'm Naruto Uzumaki…" Feeling a little awkward at what to do next, Naruto's gaze drifted down to Zenkichi's orange hoodie. "… I like your hoodie."

"Thanks! I think orange is a cool color, don't you?"

A large smile formed on Naruto's face as he felt the queasy feeling in his stomach begin to disappear, "Yeah! Other kids say I'm weird for liking it, but I think its awesome!"

"Hehehe," Zenkichi started to laugh at Naruto's words, and soon Naruto was joining him in the laughter. Hitomi remained silent as she watched the two chat from a short distance. The laughing soon came to an end as Zenkichi picked up a nearby blue ball and held it up to Naruto. "Wanna play? It'd be nice having someone else here!"

Glancing briefly at Hitomi, Naruto saw the woman nod her head with a smile on her face before turning back at Zenkichi. "Yeah! Let's do it!"

With that said, the two boys rushed passed the smiling Hitomi towards the other toys. Nodding her head with a satisfied expression, the woman walked herself out as she heard the cheerful shouts of the boys playing behind her. While she didn't know Naruto's history back in the Elemental Nations, it was clear how much happier the boy was after meeting Zenkichi and that was enough for her at the moment. Stretching her arms over her shoulders to get the kink out of her shoulders, Hitomi giggled to herself as she headed towards her office. Time to get back to work!

**(A Few Hours Later)**

"…"

"…"

"… Naruto?"

"Hmmm!?" Naruto let out an annoyed hum as he stared down at the infuriating contraption in his hand, pulling at it with both hands. "I'm gonna get this!"

Zenkichi had a concerned look on his face as he watched his new friend attempt to solve one of the wire puzzles that were in one of the older kid boxes. He had tried to solve it a little bit ago before giving Naruto a turn, though it was more of Naruto trying to use brute force than actually solving it. "You don't have to push yourself."

"I can do it, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed as he continued to pull at the two wires pieces, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he tried to summon up even more strength in his attempt.

Because his eyes were closed, Naruto didn't notice as a very small wisp of red mist circle around his hands as he continued to pull. Zenkichi's eyes widened as he watched the wires in the two year old's red-glowing hands begin to warp… before breaking apart in his hands. Naruto's eyes snapped open as he felt the resistance vanish completely and saw the broken wires between his fingers.

"I did it!" Naruto cheered with a large grin and pumping his hands into the air.

"Woooooow~! How did you do that glowing hand thingy?" Zenkichi asked with wide eyes and an excited look on his face.

Naruto blinked at the strawberry blonde's question before looking down at his hands as he dropped the destroyed wires, "Glowing hand?"

"Yeah! They were covered in a red mist!"

"… Was it catra?" Naruto wondered as he clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Catra?" Zenkichi repeated with a confused look.

Nodding his head at that, Naruto looked up at his friend. "Yeah, it's this energy that ninjas back home can use to do a lot of things."

"Really? I want to be a ninja too! Can you show me how to use catra?" An excited look formed on Zenkichi's face, an image of him wearing a cape and flying through the sky going through his mind. He didn't really know what a ninja was… What? He was two years old and a half. In a kid's mind, ninjas was just another word for superheroes.

"I don't really know how to use it yet… Sorry." A guilty expression grew on Naruto's face as he denied his friend's request, only to feel Zenkichi pat his shoulder.

"Don't worry. We can try when we're bigger!" The two year old smiled before motioning to the other puzzles, "Let's try something else! This time, I'm gonna beat it!"

As the two moved onto the next puzzle, Dog's clone was watching the two from his hiding spot and cloaked presence, an uneasy feeling going through him as he thought back to Naruto's actions. _'There's no doubt about it… That was the Kyuubi's chakra just now… But it doesn't seem like the seal broke or anything, most likely a small slip with his emotions.'_ The more he continued to think about it, the more at ease Dog's mind went as he continued to watch the boys play. The sounds of the nursery's door opening made him turn his head to see a two year old girl in a pink dress sneak into the room before silently closing it behind her while placing her ear against it. Dog could hear the sounds of multiple footsteps rush passed the closed door. _'Interesting, her mind must be very advanced to know how to avoid pursuers. She doesn't seem dangerous, but I should keep up my guard to be safe.'_

Pulling her head away from the door, the girl turned around and noticed two boys around her age surrounded by toys and puzzles. One of them with spiky blonde hair and whisker marks on his face, and she could see that he was rooting for the other boy, this one with less spiky strawberry blonde hair, as he attempted to solve a wire puzzle in his hands. Watching the two for a few seconds as the second boy seemed to have a lot of difficulty with the puzzle, the girl let out a sigh before walking up to them. Naruto halted his words of encouragement as he noticed there was someone new in the room and looked up, blinking a few times as he saw a blue haired girl with red eyes walking up to them while a single, long lock of hair sticking out swayed side to side with each step. Zenkichi looked up as he realized Naruto wasn't talking anymore and turned around as well, a look of curiosity forming on his face at the new person.

"Why are you having trouble with that easy puzzle?" The girl asked as she stretched out a hand towards Zenkichi, "Give it to me, I'll solve it." A little confused at the girl's request, Zenkichi was about to hand the puzzle to her, only for Naruto to push his hand down. Looking over at his new friend, Zenkichi saw the frown on Naruto's face before turning back to see that the girl had a raised eyebrow now. "What are you doing? I can solve that."

"So what if you can? If you want the puzzle, you can at least say please, ya know!" Naruto retorted as he was a little annoyed at the way she was talking to Zenkichi. "Jii-chan says that you have to be nice to someone if you want something!"

Tilting her head at that, the girl was honestly confused at the response. Normally people would just let her take care of things and be done with it instead of argue. Instead of saying anything, she simply walked over to Zenkichi and held out her hand once again. "You want the puzzle solved, right? Hand it over… Please."

"Okay," Handing over the puzzle to the girl, Zenkichi and Naruto were shocked to see that she unhooked the wire in seconds. "Wow, that amazing!"

"You really solved it! Even I had trouble with it," Naruto added in amazement as he watched Zenkichi took the two pieces from the girl, who looked at the floor and saw the remains of the wire puzzle that Naruto had broken.

"… That looks more destroyed than solved." The girl stated with a blank expression as she turned her head away.

"If you're such a smarty-pants, then solve this!" Grabbing nearby Rubik's Cube as he said this, Naruto held it close to the girl's face. She turned her head back to look at Naruto before taking the toy from him, solving it within seconds much to his surprise. "Whoa… Well, I'm not done!"

One after the other, every puzzle that Naruto and Zenkichi pushed at the girl was solved almost instantly. Soon they moved onto building objects from blocks and other toys, and each time the girl shocked them on how outclassed she made them. But while Naruto looked defeated at this fact, Zenkichi was smiling and running around with a cheer.

"You're really amazing! You solved them all and so quickly too!" Zenkichi exclaimed as he came to a stop and patted Naruto on the back, "Come on, Naruto! That was amazing, right?"

Letting out a sigh, Naruto couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. "Yeah, it was… But we can do that too! Maybe not now, but you and I can do it if we try!"

"Maybe, but right now I'm just as happy that they were solved!"

"Why would you even care about something like this?" Both boys turned to look at the girl staring at them while sitting on her knees, "There's no real meaning to doing these puzzles. There's no meaning to our lives from the moment when we are born until the day we die. It is all meaningless."

Naruto's eyes widened at her words before shaking his head as he recognized the look on her face, not noticing that Zenkichi shook his head with a smile. Then at the same time, both of them spoke up.

"I think everything has a meaning!"

"Nothing is meaningless!"

The girl didn't even blink as she looked at both of them with some annoyance, "Then why am I here? If nothing is meaningless, then tell me why I am here?"

"If you want a reason than think about how much fun and happy you made this for us." Zenkichi replied as he motioned to all of the toys surrounding them. "I think you were born to make everyone happy!"

"You also make me want to improve myself! Being someone that wants to help people become better so they can try to surpass you as a goal is something meaningful as well, ya know!" Naruto added with a small grin as he got soaked up in the conversation. "You just wait, I'll beat you at something and have you acknowledge me!"

The girl's eyes widened in shock as she registered what the two had said to her. Again, she was surprised at the fact that these two boys were different from the rest of the adults and other people she had met, most of them intimidated or frightened after seeing what she could do. She could feel another sensation wash over her as she stared at the two, her heart beating fast and her cheeks flushed.

"W-What are your names?" The girl asked as she rose to her feet, resting her hands on her hips. "I'm Medaka. Medaka Kurokami."

Hearing the girl introducing herself, Zenkichi was first to do the same with a small smile. "It's Zenkichi Hitoyoshi."

"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki." The blonde did a thumbs up as he said this, remembering a strange green outfitted man doing the same to other Shinobis.

The blush on Medaka's face grew as she stared at the two boys in front of her, "W… Well then… Naruto… Zenkichi! Please... Please marry me!"

"Ehhh," Zenkichi shook his head at that, "No way."

"That's not happening."

The clone of Dog couldn't help but sweatdrop at the crushed look on Medaka's face after hearing a double rejection from the boys, something that would be expected from two toddlers just meeting her. _'I know girls like to think about falling in love and getting married early in their lives, but this is ridiculous.'_

"How about we play another game instead?" Naruto offered with a smile, clenching his tiny hands into fists in front of his face, "This time, I'm gonna win!"

"Can't we just have fun?" Zenkichi asked as he looked at his fellow blonde with a confused smile.

The crushed Medaka snapped out of her shocked daze as she watched the two boys' converse, both of them completely different from all of the people she had encountered in her short, but experienced life. This was something new… and she wanted this to last forever!

**NUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZH**

"All right, you three! Are you ready to go?" Hitomi called out as she stood ready at the door, wearing a red yukata that had white lines curling designs on it and a pink obi with her doctor's coat over it and a small backpack.

Six years had passed since that fateful meeting and the beginning of Naruto's friendship with Medaka and Zenkichi, one that the young Uzumaki cherished more than anything else in the world. Thankfully the meetings between the Elemental Nations and the six other continents were more than successful as a World Peace Treaty was formed which allowed trading and traveling between the Shinobi nations and the rest of the world, opening up so many ways for both parties to benefit and advance in multiple fields. Unfortunately that peace did not mirror the chaos happening between Hidden Villages as Kirigakure was currently experiencing a civil war as a rebellion was fighting against the Fourth Mizukage's bloody reign. Konohagakure was also having its own problems as their conflict with Kumogakure and Iwagakure, especially after the former's attempt at kidnapping the oldest daughter of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata.

But through all of this, Naruto continued to keep in contact with his two best friends, as he was allowed to visit them in Japan as long as he had bodyguards watching over him. The same could be said for Medaka and Zenkichi, as they were some of the first outsiders to ever visit the Elemental Nations with Hitomi watching over them. This was one of those times as Naruto, with some help from Sarutobi, had invited the three to experience a summer festival happening in a nearby village known as Tanzaku Town. It was actually the first time that Naruto actually going to enjoy it himself since no one in Konohagakure allowed him to buy anything or go to any of the booths when he tried to attend any of the village's festivals for the three years. Hitomi, upon hearing this, had invited Naruto to join her and Zenkichi for a different Winter Holiday known as Christmas the following year after not being able to attend the village's Rinne Festival. She wasn't the only one to want Naruto to have a wonderful time as Medaka somehow got a Christmas tree that was three times as big as her and decorated it with so many ornaments that it practically lit up the room by itself, and dragged her best friends along to enjoy all of the holiday activities that could be done by the three six year olds.

It was the best week of Naruto's life… until he had to return home to an empty apartment.

With some help from the Hokage, the four managed to find a village not that far away from Konohagakure where he was certain that Naruto could fully enjoy the festival with his friends. Of course, they had to have some Anbu watch over them from the shadows, but other than that there was no issues for the group as they found an Inn that had a room big enough for all of them. Though Hitomi did have some problems with the staff due to her youthful appearance. It was funny to watch as Medaka interrupted the arguing adults and somehow managed to not only get one of their best rooms, but also got it at a price so low that it left the manager in tears after being outwitted by a five year old.

"I'm ready to go, Okaa-san!" An eight year old Zenkichi stated as he was the first to be ready, wearing a green yukata with blue obi, small lightning bolt designs on the arms and larger ones on his back.

"Me too!" Naruto was the next to walk up to the woman, his blue yukata having red spirals all over it and a black obi wrapped around it. After meeting Zenkichi all those years ago in the nursery, the blonde started to wear more orange clothes, despite numerous adults not to go overboard with it. Hitomi, however, didn't see the problem with Naruto's love of the color… probably because of the odd fashion sense that she and her son have.

Hitomi giggled at the boys' excited faces, "Don't you two look handsome and ready for fun. Medaka-chan, are you finished?"

"Of course!" Medaka's voice replied back as the girl stared at herself in the mirror to make sure she was hadn't missed anything, not that she ever did. The last seven year old was wearing a pink and white yukata that had large blue flowers on it, a yellow obi around her waist, and her now shoulder-length hair had a decorative ornament tying it up into a short, spiked high-ponytail. "This is my first time going to a festival, for some reason I'm feeling really excited."

"Why wouldn't you be? We're gonna have so much fun, ya know!" Naruto cheered with a fist pump into the air. To say that Naruto was excited to finally enjoy a Summer Festival, and with his best friends, and not worry about being chased out, was an understatement. "I hope your ready Medaka-chan! Cause I'm gonna win all of the festival games!"

"Hooo~? I look forward to the challenge like always, Naruto." Medaka replied with an amused smirk on her face. "Just don't overeat and throw up like last time."

Zenkichi sweatdropped at the two, the competition between Medaka and Naruto had become a common occurrence since they had met all those years ago in the nursery. The whiskered blonde constantly tried to beat Medaka multiple times, only for the girl to defeat him every time. Nevertheless, that only seemed to motivate Naruto even more as he continued to train and improve himself after every loss. The young Hitoyoshi could understand why Naruto was so determined to beat their female friend, because it was the same reason Zenkichi wanted to improve himself as well… So they could catch up to the girl and stand by her side, like they promised her back then.

… But still…

"Come on guys, this is supposed to be a fun event." Zenkichi looked back and forth between the two, "Let's just enjoy ourselves without all the contests."

"What are you talkin' about Zenkichi?"

"Yes. We were just conversing about fun games and tasty food."

The sweatdrop falling down the back of the strawberry blonde's head grew at that. It was like he was the only normal one out of the three of them. Before he could say anything, however, the sounds of his mother clearing her throat caught their attention and made them turn towards her to see the amused look on her face.

"If you keep talking, you'll miss the entire festival."

An alarmed look formed on Medaka's face as she grabbed Naruto and Zenkichi's arms, "AH!? We don't want that! Come on!"

"W-Wait, Medaka-chan! She was just ki-GAAAH!?" Naruto didn't get to finish his sentence as Medaka started running passed Hitomi, causing the two boys to be left dangling in the air from how fast the bluenette was going.

"Slow down! The festivals not going anywhere!" Zenkichi shouted with his eyes turning completely white with anime tears pouring out.

Hitomi blinked as she watched the trailed of dust pick up behind the eight year old girl and the screaming boys that were being dragged through the air by their arms. A small sweatdrop forming as they disappeared around a corner, "… I sometimes forget that when it comes to practical knowledge and jokes, Medaka-chan can be so smart that she becomes stupid."

It didn't take long for the doctor to catch up to the children, who had come to a stop just outside the Inn to see that there were already crowds of people walking along the festival booths… Well, Medaka was staring in amazement and starry eyes. With her strong grips on their arms, a groaning Naruto and Zenkichi were on the ground with swirly eyes and lumps on their heads. It was a hilarious sight even if you didn't know the trio.

Both boys quickly regained their bearings after a few minutes, and excitedly followed Medaka down one of the paths. Their eyes reflecting all of the lights coming off of the booths and colorful streetlights stabbed into the ground to light up the paths, and their gazes looking at all of the games that came with a variety of different prizes, food vendors and festival goodies that were on sale. Medaka came to a halt as she saw a man sitting behind a large tank filled with water, moving closer to see that it was filled with goldfish.

"Hoooo~!"

"Ah, I see you've taken an interest. Want to give it a shot?" The man said with a smile as he held up multiple paper scoops.

"Huh? Give it a shot?" Medaka repeated while tilting her head, with Naruto and Zenkichi looking over her shoulders in curiosity.

"You've never played before? This is Kingyo Sukui." Holding out one of the scoops to Medaka, the man motioned to the tank in front of him and a pile of bowls next to it. "It's simple really. You just use this net to catch as many fish as you can before it breaks. Any fish that you catch is yours to keep."

"Really?!" The excited look on Medaka's face was practically glowing as she looked from the offered net to the fish swimming in the tank.

An uneasy look appeared on Zenkichi's face, "Um, Medaka-chan, I don't think that such a good idea."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, "Something like this should be easy for her, right?"

"It's not that I don't think she can do it… It's just-"

The strawberry blonde was interrupted by Medaka's tearful shout, "Why won't they stay still?!"

Looking back at the booth, Naruto blinked in confusion as he saw that Medaka was hovering over the tank with her scooper ready to move, only for every single fish move to the opposite side of the tank just as she was about to make her move. This continued a few times as everyone watched the girl move her hand back and forth to follow the fish, only for them to increase their speed and move away from the incoming hand. Soon, Medaka's hand was a blur following the blur inside the tank.

"… I'm guessing Medaka-chan's not good with animals, huh?" Naruto deduced with a sweatdrop.

"It's not that she isn't good with them, they're just completely terrified of her." Zenkichi explained as he recalled earlier that year when Medaka had been assigned to look after the class pet, which was a rabbit, but the poor thing wouldn't even attempt to get near her. "Even the scary animals at the zoo were so terrified of her that they hid away until she left their cages."

"So there is something she's not good at." Crossing his arms over his chest, Naruto watched as the girl's hand came to a halt after the fishes finally stopped moving… and stopped moving.

"D-Did she just kill those fish?!"

"Holy shit!"

"They must've overworked themselves to death!"

The man running the booth couldn't find the right words to say as he stared at all of the dead goldfish floating at the surface, he couldn't understand what the hell he had just witnessed. Suddenly a hand could be seen holding out unused scooper, making him look up to see an awkward smiling Zenkichi handing him the small paper object while Naruto was guiding the catatonic Medaka away from the booth.

"Um… Sorry about that… We'll just leave now." Bowing his head apologetically, the boy turned around and followed his friends and Hitomi to get as far away from the booth as possible.

…

…

…

"What the hell?" The man muttered to himself, not noticing as a weasel-masked individual stop in front of the tank and placed a closed sign in front of it before vanishing.

"Muuuuu~… None of the fishies wanted to come home with me." An aura of depression was coming off of Medaka as she walked along the path with Zenkichi and Hitomi on either side of her, the former doing the best he could to cheer her up. Naruto had disappeared off somewhere saying that he had an idea on how to cheer her up.

"It's okay, Medaka-chan. Being bad with animals isn't the worst thing in the world." Hitomi patted the girl on the shoulder as she said this, though this didn't seem to make the girl feel any better as she let out another disheartened moan.

"But they'd rather die than have anything to do with me… What kind of human am I that animals want nothing to do with me?"

"You just haven't found the right kind of animal yet." Zenkichi said as he tried to reassure the girl, "There are so many out in the world, so there's got to be at least one that can handle being around you."

"Hey guy!" The three turned around to see Naruto rushed over to them with his hands behind his back.

"Naruto-kun, where did you go?" Hitomi questioned with a frown at how the boy just disappeared without telling them why, the only relief was that there was an Anbu watching over them so nothing bad could happen to him.

"Sorry, but I saw one of those accuracy games with a bunch of prizes. It used darts so I was able to put all that **Shurikenjutsu** training to good use!" Naruto explained while mentally thanking the Anbu, Weasel, for helping him greatly improve his shuriken and kunai throwing. Lightly shaking his head to dismiss the thoughts with a smile, Naruto moved his right arm from behind his back. "Here, Medaka-chan!"

Raising an eyebrow as she watched Naruto hold out his right hand out to her with one of his prizes, the bluenette reached out and took it from him, blinking a few times in surprise as she saw that it was the hand fan that she had looked at earlier on in the festival. "You're giving it to me?"

Tilting his head to the side, Naruto watched as Medaka look down at the closed hand fan for a few seconds before opening it up. "Well, yeah. I mean, you wanted it, right?"

"… I love it." Medaka said as she held up the open fan to show that it had a beautiful cherry blossom tree branch with a red background, moving it around gracefully with her fingers as if she was dancing. "You certainly picked out one that is graceful and easy to use."

"I'm glad that you like it so much," Turning his head towards his other best friend, Naruto held out his clenched left hand to him_. _Zenkichi watched as Naruto placed the second prize in his fellow blonde's open hand, revealing it was a small leather bracelet with a metal plate on it that had the kanji for friendship on it. The strawberry blonde looked up and saw Naruto wearing an identical bracelet on his wrist.

"The prize I got was actually a pair of friendship bracelets, and their adjustable too!" Naruto said with a large grin, one that Zenkichi mirrored as the boy slide the bracelet onto his wrist.

Medaka smiled as she held her new open fan in front of her face, "It's just like you to share your prizes with us. Though should I be jealous that you're only sharing a bracelet with Zenkichi?"

"Well, there were only two bracelets with one prize. So I thought that getting you something you'd like would be enough." Naruto replied before moving his arm around Zenkichi's neck to bring him in closer, "Besides! With everything Zenkichi and I have gone through thanks to you, we aren't just friends, we're brothers in arms!"

"… Why do I feel like I should be insulted by those words?" Medaka wondered to herself before shrugging her shoulders, "Oh well. You "brothers" can keep your friendship bracelets, I can understand the desire to connect with siblings."

"Even Maguro?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

Medaka seemed to freeze up at the mention of her brother, who had become somewhat of a perverted siscon lately. "Okay… Maybe not all of them."

"But still… It sounds nice having people to greet you when you get home, even if they are pervy…" Naruto stated with a sad look in his eyes as he unhooked his arm from Zenkichi's neck, turning away from the two so they couldn't see his face. "I've got an apartment all to myself, so I don't know what that's like…"

"Naruto…" Zenkichi started as he reached up to place a hand on the Uzumaki's shoulder, only for the whiskered face blonde to rub his eyes with the sleeve of his yukata before turning to face his friends with a large grin.

"What're we just standing around for? There's still a lot of things for us to do here, ya know!"

Grabbing Medaka and Zenkichi by their wrists, Naruto pulled them along the path where more game booths were located. Hitomi was a few steps behind them, staring sadly at Naruto's back after hearing what the boy had said. She had never told him or Zenkichi, but the loli woman had tried to put in a request to adopt Naruto back when the boy was four years old after finding out that he was living in his current apartment by himself. The adoption request was denied, however, since she was from the Six Continents and everything involving the World Peace Treaty was still in a fragile stage, not to mention that the case surrounding Naruto was a difficult situation. It didn't stop the woman from doing as much as she could to keep Medaka, Zenkichi and herself a part of Naruto's life so the boy wouldn't be alone, but even so… that didn't mean that the boy wasn't lonely when they were not there.

**(Later on During the Festival)**

"It's easy, Zenkichi. Here, let me show you how it's done!"

"… Hey… Hitomi-obachan…" The loli doctor looked at the whiskered blonde, who was watching as Medaka showing Zenkichi the best way to win the Yo-Yo Tsuri game, "Can I ask you a question… one just between you and me?"

"Sure. Is something wrong?" Hitomi asked with a little concern as Naruto looked down at the ground.

It took a few seconds for Naruto to figure out his words as he looked back up at Medaka and Zenkichi, who was kneeling over the floating yo-yo balls. "… Do friends… have to stop being friends… when they like the same person?"

"Eh?" Hitomi blinked at the unusually mature question.

"I mean… Ever since I started going to the Ninja Academy there are a bunch of girls that like this boy in my class, his name is Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto started to explain. Hitomi once again blinked, this time in recognition as she recalled the name after hearing the news about the Uchiha Clan Massacre at the hands of Itachi Uchiha and how his younger brother was the sole survivor. "He's got this cool attitude and all this attention from people, and it is really annoying."

Patting the boy on the shoulder, Hitomi flashed him a smile, "Why don't we focus on your question?"

"Oh, yeah… Well, I've seen all of this girls in our class gush over him and follow him around… And I know a lot of them used to be close friends before they started chasing after the guy…" Naruto's voice lowered as he thought about two of the girls, a pink haired one and a blonde, being friends for months before arguing with each other about winning the Uchiha's affections.

"Now they are fighting and acting like banshee rivals, right?" The doctor deduced with a shake of her head. It sounded like this Sasuke was attracting a lot of fangirls, she honestly pitied the poor boy. "So, are you worried about losing Zenkichi-kun as a friend because you both like Medaka-chan?"

"How'd you know?!" An alarmed Naruto questioned with wide eyes.

Hitomi giggled as she stared at the boy who was almost as tall as her, "You forget who you're talking too. I could tell you both have become smitten with Medaka-chan."

This time Naruto was confused as he tilted his head a little, "What's smitten mean?"

"It means you both like her a lot." Hitomi explained with a smile on your face, but her words only made Naruto frown as he looked back towards the floor. "I had a feeling that was the case after giving you both the 'talk'!"

"…"

"I still remember the looks on your adorable faces. Hahaha~!"

"… So I wasn't wrong…" Naruto muttered sadly as he felt a cold shiver go through his body, feeling a pressure build up in his chest, the boy's words causing the older woman to stop laughing. "B… But I don't w-want that… Zenkichi is my best friend, the first one I ever made. H-He even accepted me after learning about… you know… I-I don't want to fight with him, ya know! I want us to stay friends forever!"

Letting out a sigh before placing a hand on the boy's head, Hitomi gave him a gently rub. "Naruto-kun… I won't lie to you and say that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of cases where having feelings for the same person can cause friendships to end. But as the same time, it was mostly because those friendships weren't strong in the first place."

Naruto flinched at that, "Does that mean I shouldn't like Medaka-chan in that way? Should I try to ignore it so Zenkichi and I can still be friends?"

"No, you should never bottle things in like that… Sure, there will be times when you and Zenkichi-kun will fight because you disagree on something or get mad at each other, but that goes for your friendship with Medaka-chan as well, or any other friend you make later on. Everyone goes through that." Hitomi stated as she turned back to see Zenkichi comically stare at Medaka in shock at the dozens of yo-yo balls she had retrieved while his broken string barely managed to get one. "You and Zenkichi-kun should be honest with one another, or do you really think your friendship can't handle that kind of pressure?"

"… Of course we can, ya know!" Naruto replied with determination in his eyes, slapping his cheeks a few times before running over to Medaka and Zenkichi, who were being kicked out of the booth due to the former somehow grabbing almost half of the floating yo-yo balls with a single paper string.

_'I'm glad you think so, too…'_ Hitomi thought to herself as she watched Medaka, Naruto and Zenkichi start to hand out all of the extra yo-yo balls to nearby children that weren't able to get any, much to the irritation of the man running the Yo-Yo Tsuri game. She hadn't mentioned it to Naruto, but her son had also gone to her for advice about keeping his friendship with Naruto despite them both liking Medaka. They had almost the exact same conversation, though Zenkichi was also worried about being able to catch up to his friends since he wasn't, in his words 'as amazing', as them.

While Hitomi wanted to say that her son was just as amazing as them, which he was in her opinion as a loving mother, the scientific part of her knew that her son would have to go above and beyond to reach their levels since he was considered a Normal person. She didn't mean he was nobody important or anything like that, it was one of the three categories that had been used on groups of people. The first category, Normal, was for people that lacked any special abilities, which was what most of the Six Continent's populations fell under. Then there were the ones called Specials, the ones who have an ability to excel in a specific area, and while these weren't as big, they still held a large number. Finally, there was the Abnormal category, the rarest one as it focused on people who possesses such overwhelming capabilities that the individual is unable to control that aspect of themselves and inherently seek to master their Abnormality. Back when she had worked at Hakoniwa General Hospital as a psychosomatic surgeon, it had been her job to find out what children fell under the last category. Both she and Medaka were considered to be Abnormals, though Medaka's abilities far outclassed her own despite her young age and only continued to grow.

But after the World Peace Treaty was finalized, a new category was created for the people from the Elemental Natons, as they were considered to be mixtures of both Specials and Abnormals. This was due to the unique bodies they were born with that were physically superior to anyone from the Six Continents, as well as the ability to harness an energy source called Chakra that allowed them to enhance their bodies even more and perform techniques known as Jutsu that had an almost unlimited range of possibilities. There are a few that fell under a more special group of humans that exhibit extraordinary powers due to powerful creatures known as Bijū being sealed inside them, they are known as Jinchūriki… like Naruto. While the knowledge of Jinchūrikis were revealed during the World Peace Treaty meetings and how each Hidden Village possessed at least one, Hitomi herself had learned of Naruto's status during one of her visits to Konohagakure with Zenkichi and Medaka, after arguing with several villagers on how they were treating the boy when he was showing them around the village and later finding out from the Hokage.

Almost immediately, Hitomi wanted to tell Naruto the truth, as it would've been better to find out sooner from people that he trusted instead of later when a hateful villager or worse revealed the truth in some way that could harm him mentally and emotionally. Sarutobi had tried to push it off by saying it was safer for the boy not to know and how he forbid anyone from talking about it, but he couldn't win against the loli-mother. After finally managing to convince the Hokage to let Naruto know, the two told the young Uzumaki the truth… only to find out that the boy had already figured it out with help from Medaka and Zenkichi, the former deducing the truth after seeing how the villagers reacted to Naruto and about the Kyuubi's defeat at the hands of the Yondaime Hokage.

"Hey! It's a cute fox mask!"

"Look at the size of the nose on that one!"

"This one is so funny looking!"

Watching the three with a smile, Hitomi made her way over to them as Medaka was starting to lead the group to the next stall that had a wall of masks for sale, the bluenette's focus on the animal masks. Naruto and Zenkichi had grins on their faces as they were looking at other masks, the whisker-face blonde holding up one that was red face with a very long nose while his friend was holding up a cartoonish mask that had a giant eye with a tongue sticking out. It warmed the woman's heart to see her son and his friends act like simple, normal children that were having fun, instead of dealing with all the pressures that life was dealing them. She then saw Naruto grab another porcelain mask and stare at it for a few seconds before nodding to himself. Apparently he found another mask he wanted.

Paying for the masks, Hitomi smiled at the three before speaking as the three put on their masks on the side of their heads, Naruto placing his second mask away in his yukata. "How about we get something to eat? I'm sure you'll want to try all of the tasty foods they made for the festival."

The three kids nodded their heads in excitement before rushing off to the next booth where a man was making fried noodles, with giggling Hitomi a few feet behind them. As the four continued towards the next booth, a tall man with spiky white hair wearing green short shirt kimono, matching pants and a red haori with two yellow circles on each side was seen walking passed them towards a bar. Pausing in his step, the man silently turned around and watched the four order a large fried noodles, focusing his gaze on the laughing Naruto as he was handed the plate of noodles and trying some almost immediately. A small smile formed on the man's face as he saw Naruto let out several huffs from the heat of the noodles while Medaka and Zenkichi ate some as well, the latter copying Naruto's actions and yet Medaka seemed perfectly fine. Turning himself around, a perverted grin formed on his face as he was greeted by the bar's waitresses.

"Hello ladies~!"

**(A Few Days Later in Konohagakure)**

"I can't believe it's already dark," Naruto said as he and other were walking down the street, having finally arrived after a day of traveling from Tanzaku Town back to Konoha and made it through the gate just before it started to get dark. Each of them was carrying backpacks that were filled with clothes and goodies that they had gotten from the festival. "Today just went by too fast."

All of them were back in their regular clothes. Naruto was wearing a blue shirt with an orange hoodie vest over it, black shorts and his usual ninja sandals, and a green backpack. Zenkichi had an orange shirt and khaki shorts with green sneakers and a red backpack matching his mother's. Medaka was wearing a loose pink blouse and a white skirt along with red ninja sandals. Apparently she had felt that it would be an interesting experience to wear them while she was in the village… this was one of those times when neither boy could understand Medaka's thought process.

"Seemed like a normal day to me," Medaka commented as she looked up at the night sky where the Earth's two moons could be seen. "Tanzaku Town wasn't really that far."

Zenkichi had a small smile on his face as he saw Naruto turn to Medaka with a deadpanned expression, "We did make those stops along the way, but at least we made it back before night time."

"Just in time for dinner!" Hitomi said cheerfully as she trailed behind the three, secretly glaring back at the citizens that were sending Naruto nasty looks. "What should we have for dinner?"

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered, only for Medaka to bop him across the back of his head, "Ouch!"

Medaka gave her friend a stern look as she placed her hands on her hips, her yellow backpack shifting as she moved. "That's not healthy, Naruto!"

"But I like it! It's never bother me before!"

"…"

"… What?"

"Just how many times do you eat ramen when we aren't around?"

Zenkichi couldn't help but feel a shiver go up his spine as he saw the eight year old girl narrow her eyes as she asked that question. He was glad that it wasn't pointed at him at the moment. _'Sorry Naruto, but you knew this would happen sooner or later.'_

Shifting his gaze to the side with a stubborn pout, Naruto crossed his arms. "I don't haveta answer that."

That, ladies and gentlemen, was the wrong thing to say to the Abnormal.

"Fine then! You leave me no choice! Once we get back to your apartment, I'm tossing out every single trace of ramen that I find!" Medaka declared while pointing her new fan at the now fearful Naruto's face.

"You're joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking about that?" Tilting her head with a smile on her face, Medaka's glinting red eyes made Naruto swallow hard.

The last time he saw that look on her face, Medaka had found out that he wasn't doing that well at the Ninja Academy and forced him to study and worked with him to improve his physical prowess. Zenkichi was also forced to participate since, in Medaka's words, he needed to have some knowledge about ninja tools and such if he were to help Naruto improve. There were some things that she was not able to do much when it came to the use of Chakra, because while everyone in the world did have small amounts of it in their bodies it was only accessible to those born in the Elemental Nations, but that didn't mean she didn't read up on ways that Naruto could train in improving his control over it. Unknown to the three, Sarutobi had been watching over the children as they worked to improve Naruto's abilities, both happy that the boy was working to improve himself instead of doing pranks… That was, until there was an paint bomb laced with itching powder went off at the Konoha Military Police Department, covering the interior and the Uchiha Clan members that were there, resulting in pink paint covered Uchihas rushing out of the building while scratching themselves frantically scratching themselves at the same time. While many believed that Naruto and his best friends had been responsible for the prank, none of the claims could be proven as there was no evidence pointing back to the trio.

Sarutobi, himself, had brought the three in for questioning to see how they managed to do it without getting caught. Medaka was the first one to speak, saying this.** "Reading up on Shinobis, they should be able to be able to leave traps, retrieve secret information or get the job done without being detected, correct? That means any evidence pointing back to the perpetrators would be nonexistent if they knew what they were doing. If what they claim is true, wouldn't it be embarrassing if it turned out that three seven year olds manage to leave such an innocent trap for one of the most powerful clans in Konoha? Especially compared to the more dangerous ones an enemy could leave."** The bluenette's words made the old Hokage chuckle as the logic behind the genius child's words, knowing the truth behind her words. While not punishing them since there wasn't any 'proof' that Naruto and his friends had planted the itchy, paint bomb, Sarutobi had warned the group on not pulling any more destructive pranks.

"Come on, Medaka-chan! Have mercy!" Naruto begged with his hands clasped together in a praying manner.

"And prevent you from being the healthiest and height of your potential? No way," Medaka replied with a smile as she opened her fan and held it in front of her mouth. "You always go on about wanting to be better than me. Eating ramen all of the time would make that impossible."

"But it's the best food ever, right, Zenkichi?"

The strawberry blonde swallowed nervously as both Medaka and Naruto turned to look at him, "I…I have to side with Medaka-chan on this one, Naruto. It is good from time to time… but eating too much is bad for you."

'Traitor!" Naruto comically shouted as he pointed a finger at Zenkichi, who shrugged his shoulders with an awkward smile.

"Okaa-san's a doctor, remember." The Normal boy replied as his mother nodded her head in agreement.

Seeing the three of them side against him, Naruto pouted as he turned away while crossing his arms, "Hmph!"

"I thought I recognized that voice." The spiky blonde blinked as he heard a male voice speak up and turned to see a twenty year old brunette man wearing a standard Konoha shinobi outfit with his hair in a ponytail, dark eyes and a scar that runs across the bridge of his nose. "Disappearing for a few days and showing up out of nowhere in a commotion… Mind explaining where you've been, Naruto?"

"Iruka-sensei?!" Naruto called out in surprise as he took a step back. The Chūnin walking up to them was his teacher at the Ninja Academy, Iruka Umino. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm heading home. Now answer my question, where did you wander off to? You didn't get into any trouble again, did you?" Iruka questioned as he stared down at the boy with a concerned frown. He had been informed by the Hokage that Naruto wasn't going to be attending the Academy for a few days, although he didn't give a reason why. This had worried the man that something had happened to his student, but that was replaced with relief as he saw no injuries whatsoever on the blonde.

"No way! My friends and I just went to Tanzaku Town for their Summer Festival! I swear, we didn't get into any trouble, ya know!" Naruto stated as he waved his arms in the air in a comic manner.

Turning his gaze to see Hitomi, Medaka and Zenkichi staring back at him, Iruka turned to face Naruto with a stern look, "You left the village with three other children and no adults?! That was completely reckless, you idiot!"

"Three?" A confused Naruto repeated before a look of realization appeared on his face, "Oh~! That's right! You've never met them, have you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Seeing the skeptical expression on Iruka's face, Naruto hurried to his friends' sides. "These are my best friends from the Six Continents! Zenkichi Hitoyoshi and Medaka Kurokami! I've known them since I was two!" Noting the surprised look on Iruka's face at meeting people from outside the Elemental Nations, Naruto moved next to a smiling Hitomi next and gestured to her with waving hands. "And this is Zenkichi's mom, Hitomi Hitoyoshi! Don't let her looks fool you, she's actually thirty-five years old!"

Lightly bopping the top of Naruto's head with a smile, Hitomi let out a giggle, "What have I said about talking about a girl's age, Naruto-kun? You need to be more polite than that."

"S-Sorry."

Iruka didn't know what to say as he studied the three foreigners handing around his student, it was the first time that he had ever met people from the Six Continents. His gaze shifted to the oldest in the group, whose appearance looked more like a twelve year old girl than an adult, and yet now that he was getting a better look at the woman, he could feel that aura of maturity and experience coming off the loli. Realizing that he had just unknowingly insulted the woman, the brunette bowed his head lightly, "My apologies, Hitoyoshi-san."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Iruka-san. I've gotten used to it." Hitomi replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "Please, call me Hitomi, I'd hate to be on bad terms with Naruto-kun's favorite teacher!"

"Huh?" Iruka lifted his head with a curious raised eyebrow and noticed the embarrassed Naruto trying to silence the woman, only for her to hold him off with a stretched out hand.

"While I may not be his mother, I've grown to care for Naruto-kun dearly over the years." Hitomi explained as she looked up at Iruka as he straightened himself, meanwhile, an embarrassed Naruto took step back and rubbed the back of his head. "He's been telling me that you've been watching out for him and helping him in class. Thank you very much." The doctor finished while politely bowing her head in gratitude, causing the man to rub the back of his head in embarrassment, not to unlike his pupil.

"N-No, it's no problem at all. I mean, he can be a handful at times, but I was like that too when I was around his age." Iruka replied before a large smile formed on his face, "I'm happy that he has people, other than myself, who care for his wellbeing."

"… Iruka-sensei…" Naruto whispered as he stared at his teacher.

"How about we all go over to Ichiraku Ramen, my treat." Iruka offered as he looked up at the night sky, "It's about time for dinner, anyways."

"Alright!" Naruto cheered.

Behind him, Medaka was shaking her head disapprovingly while Zenkichi let out a laugh. "Didn't I just say that you shouldn't eat so much ramen?"

The two adults watched as Naruto spun around to face his friends with an excited look, "Come on, Medaka-chan! You can't turn down Ichiraku! They've got the best ramen in the whole world, ya know!"

"The whole world, you say?" Medaka's ahoge swayed back and forth as she thought about Naruto's words, before tapping her closed fan against her chin.

Zenkichi had an amused look as he and his fellow blonde knew that Medaka would be convinced to do things if they said it the right way. It was something they had figured out when the girl forced them to do things that, while easy for her, was difficult for one or both of them. There were three things that caught the Abnormal's attention, things that could be seen as a challenge, things that could help people, and things that intrigued her.

"I suppose I can allow it this one time, however!" Medaka pointed her fan at Naruto's face, the tip of it pressing against his nose, "In exchange, you have to promise that you won't eat ramen so copiously and start eating more healthy foods!"

Iruka crossed his arms with a skeptical look, _'Good luck with that. Getting Naruto to stop eating ramen almost every day is-"_

"Fine, fine. I promise!"

"Seriously!?" Iruka exclaimed in shock as how quick Naruto's response was. While he enjoyed having ramen with Naruto, he had been trying to get the blonde to not devour so many bowls at a time with no success. Now, he had just promised to not only lower his intake, but eat healthier stuff… was the boy not feeling well? The Academy teacher watched the three eight year olds continue to chat with each other, his eyes widened slightly as he noticed how Naruto interacted with the two, specifically the girl named Medaka, before a soft smile formed on his face. _'So that's it… He really cares about these two, doesn't he? I'm glad.'_

"Come on, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto's voice called out, snapping the man out of his thoughts to see that the blonde and the three foreigners were already heading in the direction of the restaurant. "If you stay there too long then Ichiraku will be closed before we get there!"

"Heh, alright, I'm coming." The Chūnin replied as he made his way up to the four and walked with them down the street, "Just remember, I'm only paying for one bowl."

"Seriously?! Come on!"

"That's more than enough."

"I'm sure one bowl is plenty."

"Not you too, Zenkichi!"

**(A Few Hours Later)**

"Haaaaa~! There's nothing like a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen!" Naruto let out a happy sigh as he and his three guests made their way up the stairs leading up to Naruto's apartment. "I told you that you'd like it!"

"Yup, you were right. It was delicious!" Zenkichi said with a satisfied look as he still had the taste of pork on his tongue, he never thought ramen could taste so good until now.

Hitomi let out a pleasant hum as she thought back to her own ramen bowl and the conversation she had with the restaurant's owner, Teuchi, and his daughter, Ayame. "I'm actually surprised on how healthy a single bowl was. Teuchi-san is definitely a man that knows how to make something so delicious into something with the healthiest ingredients."

"Admit it, Medaka-chan. Their ramen was the best you've ever had, right?" Naruto asked as he turned to the final member of the group.

"I will admit, it tasted better than I thought it was going to be." A closed-eyed Medaka admitted, her new hand fan placed over her mouth. "Which is saying something for such a simple bowl of noodle soup."

_'Says the girl that called for seconds and thirds.'_ Naruto and Zenkichi thought to themselves as they rolled their eyes at how the bluenette was trying to dismiss Naruto's words.

Iruka had been left in tears with his empty wallet in his hands by the time the trio of children had finished eating their fill, unable to say no when the three of them asked for more with wide, innocent eyes. Hitomi and the Ichiraku father-daughter pair were laughing at the sight the whole time.

"Anyways, after traveling and filling our bellies, I think we'll all sleep good tonight." The loli-adult of the group commented as they neared Naruto's apartment, "We've still have two days before the aerial transport comes to pick us up."

The light in Naruto's blue eyes dimmed at hearing that, the whiskered becoming quiet for a few seconds before he grew a fake smile. "Yeah, I guess you guys do have to head back for the Six Continents, huh?"

"…"

"…"

Both Medaka and Zenkichi silently exchanged glances, nodding at the same time as they turned back to watched Naruto pulled out the keys to his apartment and unlocked the door. That was when they made their move. The two quickly pushed Naruto out of the way and made it into the apartment, Medaka snatching his key as they passed him and closed the door behind them. Before he could realize what had just happened, Naruto heard the sounds of the door being locked once again, preventing him and Hitomi from entering.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?!" Naruto shouted as he pounded on the door, while Hitomi was standing behind the young Uzumaki with a small smile on her face, having some idea of what was happening. "This is my place, ya know! You can't just lock me out!"

"Just give us a moment Naruto!" Medaka's voice called out making Naruto's knocking come to a halt.

Zenkichi was the next one to speak as Naruto tilted his head in confusion, "We just need a second, so wait outside with Okaa-san!"

"Wait? Wait for what?" Naruto asked as he turned to look at Hitomi, who only shrugged her shoulders with the smile still on her face.

The two didn't have to wait long as they heard the sound of the lock on the door coming undone, followed by Medaka's voice. "Alright, come inside!"

"Finally!" Naruto said as he turned the doorknob and swung the door open, "Why did you guys lock me ou-"

"Welcome home, Naruto!" He was interrupted by Medaka and Zenkichi as they greeted him at the same time making Naruto freeze as he stared at their smiling faces.

"W… What?" This time, Naruto's voice came out as a low whisper as he stared at the two with wide, trembling eyes.

"It was Medaka-chan's idea." Zenkichi explained as he looked over at the blue-haired girl, who was enjoying her new fan as she opened it in her small hand and pointed it at Naruto.

"After we heard you say that you've never had someone waiting at home for you, I thought it would be great for us to do it!" Medaka nodded her head as she closed her eyes, feeling proud of her awesome idea. The sound of Naruto sniffling made her pause as she snap her eyes open to see tears building up in Naruto's eyes. "W-What's the matter?! Did we not do it right?"

Naruto only shook his head as tears started to fall down his cheeks, instantly using the sleeve of his shirt to try and dry his face. But the tears wouldn't stop coming. Behind him, Hitomi continued to smile as she hugged Naruto from behind, which seemed to make the blonde feel slightly better as he lifted his head up to look at his best friends, who had concerned looks on their faces as they made their way up to him.

"I… I'm home." Naruto finally said as a large smile formed on his face.

His answer made both Medaka and Zenkichi smile, with the former being the first one to speak up. "From now on, every time we come to visit, we'll be here to welcome you home."

"Yeah, it's a promise!" Zenkichi nodded his head excitedly at the thought, something that made Hitomi chuckle at. Despite how mature her son tried to be to catch up to Medaka and sometimes Naruto, who could be either the most mature or most childish of the three, Zenkichi often showed that he was still a young boy with his friends.

"Thank you guys." The two were caught by surprise as Naruto escaped Hitomi's hold and brought them into a tight hug, but it quickly wore off as they mirrored Naruto's action and hugged him back.

For the very first time… Naruto was happy to come home.

**NUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZH**

"Come on Ero-Sennin!" A thirteen year old Naruto shouted as he looked back towards the much slower paced man, the blonde having a look of annoyance on his face as Jiraiya brushed off his words with a wave of his hand.

"I don't see the reason we need to rush. These friends of yours don't even know that you're here, right?" Jiraiya stated as he looked around at all of the tall buildings positioned on either side of the street, "Got to say, this is all pretty impressive. I've heard about how more scientifically advanced these Six Continents are compared to the Elemental Nations, but seeing it up in person is something else."

"Yeah, yeah. All these flashing lights and moving vehicles are mind blowing," Naruto replied in a dismissive manner, it had become something that he was used to seeing after all of the times that he had come to visit Japan. "I just wish they worked on the transportation between the Elemental Nations and here were faster."

While there were multiple ways for people to reach the Elemental Nations from any of the Six Continents, there was a limitation for the other way around as the Shinobis could only reach them by ship. This was due to the Advanced Technology Research Institute, which was formed by all of the Five Hidden Villages to work alongside companies like the Kurokami Group, were still working on alternative fuel methods instead of using environmentally harmful sources that people from the Six Continents used. Thanks to the recently addition to their group from Yukigakure, a village from the Land of Snow, which was now under the rule of Koyuki Kazahana thanks to Naruto and his team, they had begun working with machines using the Chakra Absorption technology that their village had been developing. It was still going to take a while before things were ready for public use, meaning that Naruto and Jiraiya had to take a six day travel by ship to reach Japan.

Jiraiya had a grin on his face as he watched a small group of attractive women walk by. "It certainly gave us enough time to relax and get some training done."

"What training?! You spent most of the time pushing me off on that flamboyant toad to do Chakra exercises and breaking Genjutsu while you went off to check out the ladies at the pool!" Naruto exclaimed with a clenched right fist in front of him, the blonde still feeling creeped out from meeting the drag queen toad.

"Gamariki is the perfect one to teach you about Genjutsu, especially since you're not trained with it." The Toad Sage replied, not denying Naruto's words as he had no issues with being called out on his perversion as it was, in his own words, one of his best qualities. "It takes a lot of work to be able to have that level of inner control when it comes using Chakra to break Genjutsu."

"Genjutsu isn't something that a person with a large amount of chakra like me can use easily, unless you've got a talent for it, so I never bothered with it besides on how to break it." Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he looked away from Jiraiya. It had been one of those studies that Medaka had encouraged Naruto into learning… well, he said encouraged, but it was more of the bluenette locked him, Zenkichi and herself in the bathroom with in a large tub of boiling hot water… Apparently it had been in a research book she had found at the village's library on how to learn Chakra control… Naruto's skin had been tender for an entire day. "I may not be at an expert level or anything, but even you said that I don't need to be."

"… It's amazing that you somehow managed to become a Chūnin with that kind of attitude, stupid apprentice." Jiraiya commented as his gaze went to the green flak jacket that Naruto was wearing.

While the blonde used to wear an eyesore of an orange and blue outfit, Naruto had come to the decision to alter his attire with his promotion. He had kept the color orange, except he had a larger amount of black mixed in. Now, the Shinobi was wearing a black and orange jacket that had the black sleeves rolled up to his elbows with the sleeves of his chainmail armor reaching his forearms and red spirals on the shoulders of his jacket, black pants that had orange stripes going down the legs where they were tucked into his black ninja boots. Both of Naruto's Chūnin jacket and the one underneath were unzipped, revealing his chainmail shirt/armor, while the Hitai-Ate that he had received from Iruka was now on a long black cloth. The only things that remained the same were his ninja tool packs that were kept in the same places and his hairstyle, which had actually grown a little longer with a few bangs partially falling over the Hitai-Ate.

"Hey, at least I was one of the few that managed to become Chūnin. The only other person to do that in our village was Shikamaru," Naruto crossed his arms with a confused frown as he thought about his lazy friend from the Ninja Academy. "Still don't know how that guy did it when he forfeited his match after capturing Gaara's sister with his shadow."

_'After seeing how much that kid takes after his father, I'm not surprised.'_ Jiraiya thought to himself as he remembered crossing paths with the young Nara, who inherited the lazy genius trait that his father, Shikaku, and even his grandfather possessed. The Sannin had no doubt that the Head of the Nara clan could be one hell of a Hokage if he made a serious attempt at it. "The fact that he was able to outsmart his opponent by thinking several steps ahead of her and how he handled the situation was enough to get him promoted. Just like your match with Hyūga Neji."

"Yeah, no thanks to you or Kakashi-sensei." Naruto muttered to himself.

Memories of Kakashi brushing him off to another Jōnin so he could focus on Sasuke still irritated him greatly, especially when the guy tried to train him in things that he already knew. Meeting Jiraiya was annoying as well since he found the guy spying on the girls at the hot springs… he was just glad that Medaka and Zenkichi didn't show up until mid-July, though the way Jiraiya kept nudging him about having such an attractive childhood friend was aggravating. While his friends couldn't do much in helping him prepare against someone like Neji, since his clan was known for being able to deal fatal blows with just a poke of their fingers, but they did their best to support him with sparring without the use of chakra and thinking of ways to use Naruto's unpredictable fighting style to his advantage. And then Jiraiya pushed him off a cliff so he could harness the Kyuubi's power and perform a new Jutsu that allowed him to summon giant toads… that sounds better when you don't say the last part out loud.

_'The only good things to come out of that was finally meeting the Kyuubi and being able to finally summon actual toads instead of tadpoles.'_ Naruto thought to himself as he thought back to when he met the creature sealed inside of him and used its power for the third time, or rather, the fourth time. He didn't realize he had done it the first time since he was only two at the time, not really much he could remember from back then. The second time was during his fight with Haku on the bridge after he thought Sasuke was dead, and he had some recognition to the feeling as he defeated the masked boy, and then again when he fought that snake-like bastard in the Forest of Death. _'Not really something you forget completely. I just wish it didn't pack so much anger into the chakra whenever I ask for it.'_

"Hey! I'll have you know that I am an excellent teacher! I did teach the Fourth Hokage after all." Jiraiya stated as he continued walking passed Naruto and was about to cross the short street, only for the blonde to reach out and grabbed the back of his vest, making the taller man come to a stop just as a car drove by. "What the?! That guy needs to pay attention!"

"More like you do," Naruto said before pointing ahead of them towards a strange pole that had two black boxes facing them with the one on the left having a glowing red person on it. "That crossing light means that we have to wait."

"…You really know a lot about this place, huh?"

Watching as the light change to a green person walking, Naruto adjusted his green backpack and started walking across with Jiraiya a few steps behind him. "Of course I have. This place became sort of like a second home to me, because this is where Medaka-chan, Zenkichi and Hitomi-obachan live, ya know… And because it happened to me a few times." A smile formed on Naruto's face as he recalled times when he leaped onto a car just before it crashed into him and see the looks on the drivers' faces each time.

"Criticizing me on not paying attention when you're not doing it yourself, you are one aggravating apprentice." Jiraiya shook his head a few times with an exasperated look, "So, where exactly are we going, anyway?"

"Well, Hitomi-obachan is currently out of town doing a guest lecture at some university, so she'll be gone for a few days. The best thing we can do now is see Medaka-chan or Zenkichi and see if we can stay with one of them." Naruto explained as he reached into his backpack's side pocket and pulled out a small pocket watch that had Konoha's leaf symbol on it. "Hmmm, it's almost three o'clock. Which means they should be done with classes pretty soon."

"Nice call. It will be a lot cheaper to stay with one of your friends than to pay to stay at a hotel." Nodding his head at his student's thinking, Jiraiya was silently thinking about how he could use that money for some _entertainment._

Having an idea on what his teacher was thinking, Naruto shook his head as he put his watch away. "You won't be able to use the currency from the Elemental Nations here, at least, not without exchanging it first."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I did hear something about that. Apparently our Ryo is similar to an old currency used here and need to be exchanged with the difference currencies of the world." Jiraiya remembered his late teacher, Sarutobi, explaining some of this stuff to him after the World Peace Treaty had been created. "So how much is our money worth here?"

"One Ryo is worth ten yen, here in Japan. If you were to go somewhere else like America, ten Ryo would be one dollar." Placing his arms behind his head, Naruto looked up at the sky with a bored look. It had been one of the lessons that Hitomi had taught him, as well as Medaka and Zenkichi since the three of them were the ones who needed to know this information if they were to continuously travel between the Six Continents and the Elemental Nations. "There are a few places around here that can do the exchanges like that, so you'll be fine if you need really need to use your money."

"And what about you? Maybe I can help you make sure you don't waste your-" Jiraiya wasn't able to finish as Naruto suddenly delivered a drop kick to his face with both feet on each cheek.

"YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING MY MONEY!" Naruto shouted with angry white eyes as Jiraiya crashed into the floor, "You've got a bank account from all those dirty book, don't cha? Use that!"

Lifting his head up to reveal Naruto's boot marks on his face, Jiraiya glared down at Naruto with a similar look in his eyes, "Don't go kicking your master in the face when he's trying to help you! Show some more respect!"

"Respect?! What kind of respect would I have for a Super Pervert like you, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto retorted, "Besides, the only help I would get from you when it comes to money is how to spend it on the Red Light District! I'm too young for that shit!"

"Says the kid who wins every time he gambles!"

"I don't gamble! I buy only one ticket, and even then, it's because I'm being forced to!"

"What about that time that Tsunade took you to that casino on our way back to the village?! You both were practically swimming in Ryo!"

"Grandma Tsunade was swimming! I was tied up and used as a good luck charm! She even duct taped my mouth so I couldn't call for help! I couldn't even breathe when she hugged me every time she won, ya know!"

"… You lucky bastard!"

"Lucky? I almost died!"

"I would love to die that way! Hell! Every man, and some women, that knows her would love to suffocate to death from those magnificent melons!"

"Excuse me," A new voice spoke up.

"WHAT?!" Both Jiraiya and Naruto turned their angry gazes towards the new voice, only to freeze when they saw it was a police officer staring back at them with a frown.

"You both are causing a commotion. If you don't settle down now, I'm going to take you both into custody." The policeman said as he pulled out two pairs of handcuffs.

Leaning down slightly to Naruto with a blank expression, Jiraiya whispered into his pupil's ear. "… Hey, Naruto?"

"… Yeah?" Copying his teacher's actions and leaning a little closer to the taller man.

"Compared to the old Police Department in Konoha, are these guys capable?" Jiraiya asked as he thought back to the department that didn't exist anymore after the destruction of the Uchiha Clan.

It didn't even take Naruto a second to think about it before he answered, "They're not even close to being half as physical."

"I see… Then I suppose you know what needs to be done?"

"Uh-huh. One of the best Jutsus I've learned from you."

The policeman narrowed his eyes, "Hey, what're you whispering about over there-"

"**You'll-Never-Catch-Me Jutsu!**" Turning away from the officer, the teacher and pupil duo ran in the opposite direction as fast as they could, taking to the rooftops and disappearing from sight before the policeman or any of the spectators realized what had just happened.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… My superiors are never gonna believe this."

**(Fifteen Minutes Later)**

"Ha… Ha… We finally… made it…" Naruto stated as he and Jiraiya came to a stop in front the metal gate just outside the Hakobune Middle School campus. The two of them had moved non-stop in order to avoid any potential pursuers, even though they doubted any of them could trace the two Shinobis down. "You just had to cause a scene earlier."

"Me?! You're the one who started it by kicking me in the face, you brat!"

Naruto glared up at Jiraiya for a few seconds before turning away in a huff, "Whatever. I'm going find Medaka-chan and Zenkichi."

"Hold it," The Sannin called out as he grabbed the back of Naruto's collar, pulling the blonde back just as he was about to cross the metal barrier. "I might still be learning some stuff about this place, but I am pretty sure that outsiders can't just walk into a place like this whenever they feel like it."

"That's why I've got this!" Escaping from the older man's grip, Naruto spun around while reaching into his rear pouch before pulling out a slip of paper. "This is a permission slip that is given to family members so they can come onto campus without any issue."

"So one of your friends put you on the list of relatives allowed to come on campus?" Jiraiya nodded his head at that, though the look on his face showed how much he believed him. "When did you have the time for the paperwork needed to add yourself to the list?"

Shifting his gaze, Naruto whistled lightly. "… I may have taken an extra from Zenkichi's place the last time I was here."

"I thought so…" Letting out a sigh at that, the Sannin decided not to question it further. "Let's just get this over with before anything bad happens."

"Hey! I'm still on the list!" Naruto exclaimed as he chased after his teacher.

Unknown to the two Shinobis as they passed through the security checkpoint at the gate, a teenage figure with black hair and wearing the school's black uniform was standing by one of the second-floor windows of the school with one hand in his pocket while the other one was holding a complex wire puzzle. The teen had a smile on his face as he watched the two complete inspections before heading towards the main building, though the grin on his face was far from innocent or happy.

"Kumagawa-kun, what're you doing just standing there?" A voice asked causing the teen to turn his head back to the speaker, a pretty girl wearing the school's female uniform with dark brown eyes and long hair of the same color. "By the way, have you seen Akune-kun?"

"[Not to worry. He's currently taking care of something for me.]" Misogi Kumagawa replied with the smile still on his face. "[Akune will be back before you know it, Ajimu-chan.]"

A frown formed on Najimi Ajimu's face before shaking her head with a sigh, "Again? You need to stop using him for such selfish tasks. Especially after all the hard work I put in to raise your approval rate."

"[Aw, but that wouldn't be any fun!]" Kumagawa replied as he turned back to the window where Naruto and Jiraiya were still seen walking towards the school, before the blonde came to a halt and turned his head to the side with narrow eyes. Not even a second later, the shorter ninja rushed off with Jiraiya following after him with a raised eyebrow. "[How interesting…]"

"Huh?" Walking up to the window Ajimu was greeted by the sight of an empty field below. The only thing left behind were trails of dust picking up into the air. "…I miss something just missed something, didn't I?"

**(Meanwhile)**

"I have absolutely nothing…" A male teen around fourteen years old with shoulder-length blonde hair said as tears began to build up in his yellow eyes, falling to his knees before continuing. "So I wish you would please become my something!"

Standing in front of him was a seriously bandaged Medaka, who was the only thing literally standing between him and the Anti-Akune group behind her. It was a collection of students that had been brought together by Zenkichi, who now had the attitude of a delinquent and the appearance to match, as revenge for all of the beatings that Akune, who was known as the Destroyer because of the heavy injuries he would leave the person he went after, with Medaka being his latest target. They had dragged the teen to the back of the school and proceeded to attack him excessively until he was beaten, bruised and slumped up against the wall. Zenkichi was about to deliver the next blow himself before Medaka appeared out of nowhere and reverse-roundhouse kicked her brown hair-dyed friend in the face, getting in between the group and Akune while taking about how she would continue taking the older teen's beating until he became a good person again. The Abnormal liked to see the good in a lot of people, believing that they all didn't start off bad and could be reformed as long as someone actually cared enough to help them.

"Ugh…" Zenkichi couldn't believe his eyes at the scene before him, as his childhood friend defended the very same person who sent her to the hospital at least ten times in the past month. After knowing her for so long, he wasn't really surprised at her non-violent approach at helping someone better themselves. But that didn't mean that he would be forgiving Akune for his actions anytime soon, and he was sure their other childhood friend would say the same thing.

"What the heck is going on here?"

… Speak of the devil.

Every student in the area turned to see a spiky-haired blonde around their age walking up to them from around the corner with a raised eyebrow, the first thing they noticed being that he wasn't wearing the school uniform which meant he wasn't a student. Trailing behind the teen was a tall, well-built man with spiky long hair and clothes that were somewhat similar to the younger man heading towards them.

"All of you guys ganging up on someone isn't exactly fair." Coming to a stop as he looked at all of the delinquents standing together in a large crowd while a beaten teen was on his knees and nearly backed into a literal wall.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Medaka asked, surprised at the sudden appearance of the Shinobi.

Blinking a few times as he got a better look at the bluenette, a frown formed on Naruto's face upon seeing all of the bandages wrapped around most of her body and the cast on her arm. "How did you get those injuries?"

"Oh, these? This is nothi-"

"It's because of that guy over there, Naruto." Zenkichi interrupted Medaka while pointing over at Akune, who slowly rose to his feet. "He's an older classmate of ours, Akune, though people call him the Destroyer, and he has been attacking Medaka-chan for months now."

Frowning as she turned to Zenkichi, Medaka placed her exposed hand over her heart. "Kouki Akune has already displayed his intent to better himself and no longer continue his destructive path! I see no reason to view him as an enemy or someone who needs to be assaulted by bullies."

"… So that's what's going on…" Naruto replied as he turned towards the sneering Zenkichi and stared at him with a blank expression.

"…"

"…"

"What?"

"Okay, I'll bite. Who are you and how do you know my name?"

Naruto's words formed an imaginary anvil that slammed down on Zenkichi's head. A twitch mark formed on the back of the dyed-haired teen's face as he held up a fist in front of his face. "It's me, you idiot! Zenkichi!"

"Wha- Zenkichi?! What the hell happened to you? And why do you look like that?" A shocked look formed on Naruto's face as he wildly pointed his shaking finger at his first best friend. "You didn't look like that when you and Medaka-chan visited me by a few months ago!"

"I dyed my hair and combed it! Don't make such a big deal about it!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Zenkichi before shaking his head, turning his head towards Akune with a heated glare. "So, is it true that you're this Destroyer guy responsible for Medaka-chan looking like that?"

"Yeah, I am." Akune answered while closing his eyes, "She's just the latest target of all the rules, people and properties that I've destroyed in the past."

"… I don't really care about that. How you choose to live your life is up to you really." Naruto stated as he slowly walked up to the longer-haired blonde, who had an arm resting against his injured abdomen, "But I've always had a good read on people ever since I was a kid, something that I learned when dealing with negative emotions, violence and the like. Just by getting a good look at their eyes."

"Hmph, so what?"

The next thing everybody knew, Naruto decked Akune in the face and sent the slightly taller blonde crashing into the wall with cracks forming behind his body. Watching as Naruto once again walk up to Akune, who had slid down to the ground, Medaka was about to intervene, only for Jiraiya to appear next to her and rest a gently, yet firm, hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.

"I've come across lots of people who've enjoyed hurting others or worse, and you aren't anything like them. You don't seem like the kind of guy who enjoys destroying things, but at the same time, I can see that you don't hate it either. That kind of chaos and reckless choices hurt a lot of people, even more than the ones you physically harm." Naruto stated as he came to a stop in front of Akune and hovered over his slouched form, "If you really are going to try and redeem yourself like Medaka-chan says, that's good enough for me." Lifting Akune up by his collar before slamming the slightly taller blonde against the wall, Naruto lowered the teen down until he was eye level with him. Letting out a grunt at the impact, Akune opened his eyes slightly, before they widened at the sight of Naruto staring back at him with a fanged grin and slit pupils in his blue eyes. "Just remember the pain from that punch, because if you decide to go back to that Destroyer crap and hurt Medaka-chan, I'll deck you even harder next time. That's a promise."

Nodding his head with a stunned look, Akune felt the grip on his collar disappear as the grinning Shinobi spun around and headed over to where the injured Medaka and the older ninja were standing with a sullen Zenkichi. "… Hold on!"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked as he turned his head to look back at the injured teen, who now had a frown on his face.

"Who are you? Just what is your relationship with Kurokami?"

The area went silent at that as Akune and the Anti-Akune group stared at the unknown Shinobi who appeared out of nowhere and involved himself in the interrupted battle. Akune watched as the pupils in Naruto's eyes changed back to normal, "The name's Naruto Uzumaki, Chūnin from Konohagakure of the Elemental Nations… As for my relationship with Medaka-chan… She's one of my most precious people in the entire world." The large smile that formed on Naruto's face as he said that threw a lot of people for a loop, though he ignored this as he continued walking up to the injured bluenette, "Man, you really took a beating."

"I'm fine." Medaka replied with a shake of her head, before giving her second childhood friend a stern look. "Did you really have to strike him?"

"Hey! That's all I did to him! Unlike what all this gangster wannabes were planning, speaking of which…" Snapping his head to look at the mean looking students that were sending him dirty looks, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't you guys be leaving? There no way that we're gonna let you gang-up on an injured person."

"Says the brat that helped in injuring him." Jiraiya muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Naruto's words seemed to have a negative effect on the group as their glared intensified, "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"Yeah! How could you say that after all he did to Kurokami? You just said she was precious to you, right?"

"She's not his only victim too! There's some that are still in the hospital!"

"You already heard me when I was talking to Akune Kouki, didn't you?" Medaka spoke up while placing her only visible hand over her heart, "He is willing to work on bettering himself. One of the best ways to make that happen is to work hard in making amends and turn his future into a productive one. The physical work and mental strength he will need for that is enough of a burden for him!"

Akune was silent as he stared at Medaka's form in awe.

"Like that's gonna be enough to appease us!"

"… Haaaaa~… Fine then, maybe this will change your minds." Naruto stated with an annoyed expression as he brought his hands together in a cross hand-sign. "**Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" With a large cloud of smoke suddenly covering the area, it disappeared just as quickly to reveal over a hundred different Naruto's circling around the Anti-Akun group and the others. The main Naruto standing next to Medaka lowered his hands and placed them on his hips, "As you can see, I am practically a one-man army! So why don't you all just get out of here while you can still walk… Unless you'd like to take all of us on… Your choice."

"Come on!"

"You guys were going to use numbers against that Akune guy, right?"

"So you shouldn't complain if we do the same to you!"

The freaked out students looked around with panicked expressions as the different Naruto's shouted at them, not even waiting to think about it before rushing out of the area as fast as they could.

Jiraiya started to laugh as he watched them disappear in the distance, "Just goes to show how having the loudest bark doesn't mean they've got the bite to match!"

"It's just like back in the Land of Waves. That bastard, Gatō, had hired all those mercenaries and thugs, but they all ran when they saw they weren't gonna win." Dismissing his clones as he said that, Naruto turned his attention to one of the remaining people in the area… and immediately looked creeped out. "Seriously, what the hell did you do to your hair, Zenkichi?"

"I know, right!" Medaka nodded her head in agreement, "It looks awful all slicked back and dyed brown!"

"Shut it! There's nothing wrong with trying out a new look!"

Slamming his forehead against his male childhood friend, Naruto gained a twitch mark on the side of his head and angry anime eyes, "It does if it makes you look like an arrogant douchebag! I had enough of that crap when I was on Team 7 with Sasuke-teme, ya know!"

"You're comparing my looks to that duckass-haired emo?!" Pressing back against Naruto, Zenkichi gained similar eyes as he glared back at his friend.

"I can go on if you like! How about I point out it looks like crap, literally!"

"Oh? This coming from the guy who let his hair grow out so he could have a ponytail like Iruka-san!"

"Yeah! And you and Medaka-chan forced me down and cut it off the moment you saw me!"

"It wasn't a look that suited you at all, Naruto." Medaka commented as she recalled the spiked ponytail coming off the Uzumaki's head when they had visited him for his tenth birthday. "Besides, your haircut wasn't that bad."

Turning towards Medaka with a pumped fist in front of his face, Naruto gritted his teeth a little, "Not that bad?! You kept cutting until it was almost buzz-cut short! It took me months to get my normal hair back, ya know!"

"I couldn't help it, your hair was short and fuzzy like an animal's." Stars formed in Medaka's eyes as she remembered how much she enjoyed petting Naruto's short hair, which only increased when she started rubbing his whisker marks as well. It was the closest she had ever been to actually holding an animal. Well, except for when Naruto learned the Transformation Jutsu and Medaka forced him to transform into every animal she could think of… the whiskered blonde didn't get any sleep that night with how many requests the girl made.

"Anyways, why are you and the perverted sage here?" Zenkichi asked as he glanced at Jiraiya, who crossed his arms at the disrespect. Not that it bothered the Normal teen in the slightest, especially with how the guy tried to force him and Naruto to join him in peeping on girls at the Konoha Hot Springs. "You don't usually show up outta nowhere like this."

"Long story short, Ero-Sennin and I are on a three year training trip." Naruto explained as he recalled on how he had nearly died trying to bring Sasuke back after the Uchiha defected from the village in order to go to Orochimaru for power, not being able to match Sasuke's willingness to kill his friend. "We were on the road so much that I wasn't able to find any villages that had contacts with the Six Continents. The two of us just arrived on a ship an hour ago."

A disappointed Medaka let out a sigh at that, "I see… I wish we would've had more time to prepare."

"No need to trouble yourselves too much." Jiraiya spoke up with a smile, "We're not going to be staying too long, though, and we do need a place to stay for the time being."

"Ugh-!"

The three childhood friends and Sannin halted their conversation at the sound of Akune letting out a painful groan, and turned to see that the older teen was holding his injuries. Naruto was the first one to move as he walked over to Akune, and to the delinquent's surprise, hefted him over his shoulder. "Right, almost forgot about you."

"W-What're you-?"

"We need to get you checked out at a hospital, all those injuries can't be good for you." Naruto replied as he looked over at his friends, "Think one of you could show me where to go?"

Medaka nodded her head as she took a step forward, "I'll do it."

"Tch, I'm going too." Seeing the raised eyebrows he was getting from his childhood friends, Zenkichi scowled back at them. "What? I don't trust the guy! Just because you both decide to brush his past off doesn't mean that I will!"

"Whatever you say." Naruto shook his head with squinted eyes before turning to the bluenette next to him, "Lead the way, Medaka-chan."

"Of course, I know the quickest way." Medaka said before pointing off in a direction, taking the lead as they group headed towards the entrance gates to the campus. "By the way, I couldn't help but notice the new vest and attire."

"Yeah, I managed to pass the Chūnin Exams and got promoted. It happened after we left the village to find Ero-Sennin's old teammate so she could be the new Hokage…"

As he remained silent as the blonde Shinobi carried him to the hospital, Akune continued to listen to the three converse like everything that had just happened was a common occurrence. There was a strange feeling building up inside of him as he heard how casual this Naruto guy and Zenkichi were with someone amazing like Medaka Kurokami. Hopefully, by changing himself like Medaka and Naruto had said, he could have that kind of connection as well.

**NUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZH**

_As promised, the first of three parts to my Medaka Box/Naruto Crossover! I have been working on all three parts and will be submitting the rest within the next two weeks. As you can see most the chapters have time skips and focus on specific points in time rather than stretching through all of their childhood and lives. This is how the next two chapters are going to be. __You'll just have to find out what will happen to Naruto and his childhood friend live their lives the next chapter and how this all comes to an end in the third chapter.__So, like always be sure to leave some nice reviews, but remember that all flames and insults will be IGNORED, so don't bother writing them. I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter and I hope to see you again._

_A/N: __I am currently working on are the 2nd and 3rd part of this story and then I will work on Dhampir of Yokai Academy_

**_See you next time!_**


	2. The Ups and Downs of Growing up

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Medaka Box or Naruto. Those rights belong to Nisio Isin Akira Akatsuki and Masashi Kishimoto respectively. I also don't own any other anime or its characters that might appear in this story. This story is a Three-Shot, meaning there will only be three chapters, and there will be some differences from the original materials of both Anime/Manga. So without any delay. Sit back, relax and enjoy the story._**

People Speaking: "You don't become Hokage to be acknowledged by everyone."

People Thinking: _'It's the people acknowledged by everyone that become Hokage.'_

_Monster/Demon/Enhanced Speaking:_** "People don't exist to follow rules."**

Monster/Demon/Enhanced Thinking: **'_Rules exist to protect the people.'_**

Techniques or Abnormality Names: **"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"**

Chapter 2

The Ups and Downs of Growing up - Friendships and Love!

"I don't see why I need all of you guys to come with me while I'm on vacation." Naruto grumbled as he walked along a street path leading to Hakoniwa Academy, the current school that both Medaka and Zenkichi were attending. The blonde wasn't wearing his Shinobi gear at the moment and was dressed in clothes more suitable for the Six Continents, wearing a white t-shirt with an open high-collared, orange vest over it and black long cargo shorts that reached his calves. He was wearing blue sneakers with white designs, his green necklace and a red wristband on his left arm while his right was completely incased in a full arm cast and held in a sling. "Granny Tsunade worries too much, ya know."

It had been three years since Naruto had left on his training trip with Jiraiya and several months since his return to the village, where a lot of happened to the blonde in that time. Rescuing Gaara from the Akatsuki after they captured him in order to take his Bijuu, the One-Tailed Shukaku, and helping an elder from Sunagakure, Chiyo, bring the Kazekage back to life. Crossing paths with Sasuke and Orochimaru, fighting the latter while being consumed by the rage of Kyuubi's chakra, and facing his former teammate at Orochimaru's hideout. The two teens' battle had been interrupted by other members of Team 7 (Kakashi/Yamato); which was made up of their other former teammate Sakura Haruno, a member of Danzō's Root named Sai, and a Anbu-turned-Jōnin named Yamato who was Kakashi's replacement while the man recovered from the Kazekage Rescue Mission, leading to the Sannin and his pupil's escape… Naruto was still a little sore about that since he was doing fine against Sasuke on his own thanks to his Wind Nature Chakra allowing him to fight off the Uchiha's **Lightning Release**.

Upon their return and his finished recuperation, Kakashi offered to help Naruto train in creating a new jutsu by using the **Rasengan** as a base, something that the Chūnin was skeptical about since the man didn't really teach him anything back when he was his student. Thanks to the help he had gotten from Medaka, Zenkichi and Hitomi, and Iruka when he was at the Ninja Academy, Naruto learned how to fight properly instead of like a reckless brawler, train in controlling his chakra via tree-walking and water-walking, and it was Jiraiya that actually taught him various types of Jutsu including the Rasengan. Hell, it was because of Haku and Zabuza that Naruto learned what it truly meant to be strong and what kind of Shinobi he wished to become. The only thing Naruto really learned from the Jōnin was about the importance of teamwork.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his body that only continued to grow as Naruto continued to list things that he had learned from other people instead of him. Yamato certainly got a good laugh out of watching the white-haired man getting criticized by the Uzumaki, especially since the blonde wasn't really trying to make his former instructor feel bad as he spoke. Medaka's way of talking down to someone without any negativity behind it had rubbed off on him, which was something that Zenkichi actually wept about at seeing his best friend sometimes act like the Abnormal girl.

The poor guy could barely handle Medaka when she was like that.

Once Naruto had finally allowed Kakashi to start helping him with his Wind Training, something that Jiraiya had been limited on since the man's used **Fire Release**… while getting some advice from Konoha's residential Wind User, Asuma Sarutobi. He had learned a lot from the smoking Jōnin about how to properly use **Wind Release **and channel it through weapons known as **Chakra Blades**. In fact, it was because of that that Naruto decided to get his own Chakra Blade and went to the person he believed to be the best when it came to weapons, Tenten. That was something he almost regretted as the ninja-tool user had overwhelmed him on all the different types of weapons that were compatible with chakra, and all of the bladed ones that would work with Wind Release. But eventually he found the one best suited to his fighting style.

Unfortunately, Naruto had found out in the middle of his training that two members of the Akatsuki had killed Asuma. It had been a hard blow to his friends on Team Ten; Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara, who had been trained and led by Asuma since they were made Genin, not to mention his younger brother-figure and Asuma's nephew, Konohamaru. It was near the end of his training that he and the other members of Team Seven had heard about Kakashi and Team Ten going off to confront the members of Akatsuki, Hidan and Kakuzu, the ones responsible for Asuma's death. Going off to join them, the results of Naruto's training was given form of a powerful, unique Jutsu named the **Rasenshuriken** and allowed the blonde to overwhelm Kakuzu, finishing him off in a vortex of wind blades.

But with the creation and mastery of combining his **Wind Release** with his **Rasengan**, they soon found out that Naruto's Jutsu came with a big flaw as it actually damaged his own arm in addition to his enemy. Marked as an S-rank Kinjutsu, Tsunade ordered Naruto to focus on recovery and restricted his usage of the **Rasenshuriken** until he could find out a way to avoid being harmed by his own creation.

With him being taken off duty and forced to focus on recovery, Naruto decided to take advantage of it and go on vacation to Japan, wanting to see his childhood friends and see how things were going with them. The last he heard, Medaka had won the Student Council President elections and created a suggestion box to help all of the students with their problems. He was glad that Zenkichi agreed to be a member of Medaka's Student Council and could keep an eye on the so-called **_Medaka Box_**, because both knew that there would be some people that would try to take advantage of it. Anyways, Tsunade granted Naruto permission to go to Japan with the condition that a squad would be going with him to keep him safe in case the Akatsuki tried anything.

"It can't be helped. With the Akatsuki being more active in collecting Jinchūriki, you are more at risk if we left you by yourself." Sakura replied with a matter-of-fact tone as she walked with Naruto, silently taking in the sights around her as this was her first time visiting the Six Continents. The pink-haired girl was also wearing a different attire, with a long-sleeved pink and red shirt that revealed her navel, white stretch pants and high heels. "Tsunade-sama assign the four of us to watch over you, not to mention I can help keep an eye on your arm."

"Yosh! I will do my best to keep you safe as you recover from your injuries, Naruto-kun!" Rock Lee exclaimed with fire in his eyes. The large-browed had thankfully agreed to wear something other than his green eyesore of an outfit and was wearing a green traditional Chinese shirt and black pants, apparently, to the shock of many, Lee actually had normal clothes for when he was not training or going on missions. Naruto felt a shiver go down his spin when he remembered Guy, Lee's instructor, had tried to offer him one. Not even Zenkichi with his weird fashion sense would agree to wear something like that. "You can enjoy your vacation to your hearts content! Enjoy your Flames of Youth!"

"… Haaaaaa~" Naruto released a heavy sigh as he looked forward with a half-lidded eyes, watching the other two ninjas walking with them. This was the first time that Sai had worn anything besides his ninja gear as members of Root weren't exactly the most social people around, but the extremely pale teen seemed to be doing fine dressing in foreign clothes. He was wearing a simple black V-neck shirt and gray jeans a white belt and white sneakers.

Naruto's gaze shifted to the final member of the squad assigned to watch over him. Covering for Kakashi as the white-haired had to take care of an assignment near the border that Tsunade needed him to take care of, Yamato had retaken the mantle of Team Seven's leader. Forgoing his headpiece and Jōnin outfit, the man was dressed in a brown turtleneck with a black trench coat over it and blue pants, and black boots. "So, how much further is this school?"

"Not that far," The blonde replied as he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, squinting as he held it to his face. "Should be another mile, I think. This is the first time I've been there actually."

"It will be nice to see Medaka-san again. I haven't seen her since she and Zenkichi-san had come to the village for the Chūnin Exams." Sakura commented while thinking about the bluenette that she had met three years ago, recalling how she and Zenkichi had been adamant that their childhood friend was going to not only win his battle with Neji, but that he would become a Chūnin. It had been unbelievable to see that the non-shinobi Abnormal somehow had been unaffected by the Genjutsu placed on the people at the stadium. The two visitors from the Six Continents had remained in the village for only a short time to pay their respects for the fallen, including the late Sandaime who had died in the battle against Orochimaru.

"Yes, I've heard a lot about this Kurokami and Hitoyoshi from reports. I wonder if-" Sai was interrupted by Naruto chopping the back of his head with his uninjured arm.

"NO NICKNAMES!" Naruto shouted with a pissed off expression, "You better not try anything while we're here!"

Nodding her head in agreement, Sakura could understand that the white-skinned Shinobi had a tendency to cause trouble for people… She was also still pissed that about her chosen nickname being Ugly while Ino was called Beautiful. "This isn't a good place to cause problems, especially since we're technically visitors."

Sai grew a fake smile on his face as a lump formed on his head, "Whatever you say, Ugly, Dickl-"

"What did we just say?!"

**(Outside of Hakoniwa Academy)**

"Whoa~! This place is gigantic!" An amazed Sakura said as she and the others walked passed the entrance, taking in the town-size school campus around them. "I can't believe this is a civilian school, it completely blows away the Ninja Academy."

"Apparently Hakoniwa has thirteen different classes where each focuses on different categories, ranging from standard education, to diverse arts, to physical education. But Class 13 is supposed to be very exclusive and reserved for a certain group of students." Naruto explained as he recalled the information that he had been told about in the letters that Medaka and Zenkichi had sent him. "The academy has three categories for the students; Normal, Special, and Abnormal."

"What kind of classifications are those?" Yamato questioned with a raised eyebrow.

A small frown formed on Lee's face, "These Specials and Abnormals sound like people with abilities that make them superior to the ones known as Normals."

"In a way, they are, I guess." Naruto shrugged, "I don't really know the more specific details except that people who fall under Special and Abnormal are given more special treatment."

"Very interesting." Sai muttered while in a thinking pose.

Their conversation came to a halt at the sounds of explosions and rumbling coming from the direction of the main building up ahead. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he noticed that the ground and area surrounding the structure seemed to be fine, but the building was full of holes and was slowly breaking apart. "What the hell?!"

"What's going on? The entire center looks like it's about to come crashing down!" Sakura was in shock at what she was seeing.

"Did someone set off an explosion or something?" Yamato wondered as he and the others followed Naruto as he made his way to the main building, most of the center completely in ruins at this point.

"Is it an enemy?!" Lee asked while searching the area for any signs of possible perpetrators.

"… I recognize this kind of damage… But it can't be…" Naruto muttered to himself as he scanned the dust clouds coming off of the destroyed building. It took him a few seconds to adjust, only for his eyes to widen in shock as he caught sight of a something glowing inside of the dust. "Shit! Why is she using **War God Mode**?!"

"What do you mean War Go-Wait, Naruto?! Don't go rushing in!" Sakura cried out as Naruto leaped into the ruined building. "Captain Yamato!"

Narrowing his eyes slightly from the blonde's actions, the wood user signaled for the team for follow. "It can't be helped. Obviously Naruto knows more about the situation than we do. Follow after him!"

Doing his best to avoid the large rubble, Naruto focused his attention on the glowing object ahead of him, before finally getting a good look at the figure. Standing in front of a ten-year-old boy wearing a white outfit, with what looked like Zenkichi and two other teenagers assisting him, was a fluorescent-red haired Medaka, who had scoffed marks and clothes that were barely hanging on. She was currently fighting against the three holding her back from attacking the boy, who had a vicious smirk on his face.

**"Release me, you three… Or else you'll get dragged into my problems."** Medaka stated as the three tried their best to hold her back.

"Not happening!"

"We're not going anywhere!"

"So snap out of it already!"

The ten year old, Public Morals Committee Chairman, Myouri Unzen, continued to smirk as he noticed the angry look on Medaka's face start to soften, "What's the matter, Kurokami? I thought you were going to finish me. What a weak resolve for a monster to possess if you let these guys get in your way!"

His words only seemed to reignite the Abnormal girl, who narrowed her eyes before throwing off all three teenagers with a powerful shove. **"****Do not mistake showing mercy for weakness! If I cannot reform you, then I have no choice!****"** Pulling back her arm once more, Medaka charged forward with every intention on delivering one final blow.

Only for Naruto to get in her way, surprising Medaka and Unzen as they saw the whiskered blonde to intercept her punch with his one good arm, wisps of bluish energy covering his hand while holding back Medaka's fist. Steam could be seen coming off the point of impact where her fist was digging into his palm, "What the hell are you doing, Medaka-chan?! Why the hell are you in War God Mode of all things?!"

**"Why are you interfering, Naruto? This a matter for those that attend Hakoniwa Academy."**

Instead of giving Medaka a verbal answer, the Shinobi instead reared his head back slightly before delivering a powerful headbutt to the girl's forehead. Everyone except for Zenkichi gaped at the blonde's actions, while Medaka couldn't help but stumble back a bit from the impact as she looked at the scowling Naruto. "Never mind the fuck about me… A Student Council President is supposed to protect the school and its students, ya know! Didn't you tell me that? If you were to try and finish this guy off, a Human being… How could you still call yourself Medaka Kurokami?"

**"Ah…?!"** Medaka blinked as she looked around at the ruins surrounding them, before turning her gaze to the members of her Student Council. It took the girl a few seconds, but the heavy atmosphere around her began to fade as her hair returned to its normal blue. "My apologies. It seems that I took things a little too far and almost made a horrible mistake." Turning her attention to Unzen, who had lost his smirk as he realized that the battle was not only over, but that Medaka had come out of it victorious. Even it had been a stroke of luck for her to snap out of that ridiculously strong, battle-crazed form. "Second-Year Unzen…"

"Naruto! You idiot! Don't run ahead of us in your condition. "

The blonde blinked at the familiar voice calling out to him and turned to see Sakura and the others arriving in the area, "Sakura. Hey! Perfect timing! We can use some of your **Medical Jutsu **to heal some people!"

"Huh?" It took the pinkette a few seconds for her to process Naruto's words before taking notice to the other people in the area, specifically the bleeding Unzen and Medaka, who appeared to be barely able to keep steady on her feet, talking to each other with the latter asking the ten year old Abnormal to be her Vice President. The boy vehemently declined almost immediately, not that the bluenette seemed to mind. "Right! Sai, Lee, help me get all of the injured together!"

"Roger!"

"Alright."

As the two followed Sakura's orders, Yamato walked up to Naruto with a heavy frown. "You can't just recklessly rush into an unknown situation. Don't toss all the Shinobi rules and teachings out the window whenever you feel like it."

"It's easy to figure that whatever was going on had to do with Medaka-chan, and I needed to move quickly since she was in **War God Mode**. The last time I saw her like that, she nearly destroyed everything in her path to get to someone… Speaking of which," Naruto started as he turned towards his other childhood friend, who only had a few scuff marks and slight tears on his uniform. "What the hell, Zenkichi! I finally come to visit you guys after so long and I find Medaka-chan nearly killing someone! And what happened to your school?!"

Zenkichi rubbing the back of his head with an awkward smile, while off to the side, Sakura had Medaka laying on her back and scanning her body with green chakra-coated hands. "It's a long story. Thanks for your help, Naruto."

"Of course I'd help. But in case you didn't notice Zenkichi… I ONLY HAVE ONE ARM AVAILABLE, YA KNOW!" Naruto exclaimed as he held up his bandaged arm, which was so wrapped up that it wasn't even visible.

A worried look appeared on Zenkichi's face as he stared at his friend's bandaged arm, "How did that even happen? I thought the Kyuubi made sure you didn't get injuries that badly, or at least healed them."

"I got it after developing a new jutsu. It's an S-Rank, fully developed Rasengan that uses my Wind Chakra to…" Naruto paused as he remembered what was happening and grabbed the collar of Zenkichi's uniform with his left hand. "Hey! Don't try and change the subject!"

"Um… Akune?" A brunette, glasses-wearing girl dressing in the female version of the uniform Zenkichi was wearing, leaned in closer to a tall blonde-haired student next to her. Like Zenkichi, both she and Akune were not as injured as Medaka with some scuff marks and lightly torn clothes, though the girl could feel some soreness in her back from earlier explosions. "Who exactly is this guy? How does he know Kurokami and Hitoyoshi?"

"Ah, that would be Naruto Uzumaki. He's a childhood friend of Medaka-chan and Hitoyoshi from the Elemental Nations." Akune Kouki explained as he rubbed his chin, recalling the punch Naruto decked him with years ago.

"The Elemental Nations? You mean where those Shinobis are from?" The girl, Mogana Kikaijima, questioned with a raised eyebrow. After thirteen years, the World Peace Treaty and association between the land of Shinobis and the Six Continents was still a popular topic of discussion. The brunette had recalled seeing some Shinobi wondering through her hometown when she was younger, but those people were mostly adults in their thirties and forties, it was the first time that she had seen people her own age. "Why is he here now?"

Akune shrugged his shoulders with an annoyed look. Just like with Zenkichi, Naruto wasn't someone on his list of friends due to how close the whiskered blonde was to Medaka. "Apparently, they alternate sometimes between Uzumaki visiting them here in Japan or Medaka and Hitoyoshi going to the Elemental Nations to see him."

"… Shinobis must be something else if he was able to stop Medaka with one arm."

"Hmph. It was most likely because she was holding back on her punch, not to mention Naruto had his chakra energy to help him out." Akune scoffed as he completely repudiated any thought that the blonde was even close to the level of someone like Medaka Kurokami.

"Sakura-san, it's been a while since we last met." Medaka mused as she looked up at the concentrating Kunoichi. "I see that you've taken to using **Medical Ninjutsu**…"

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama took me as her student around the same time Naruto left three years ago." Sakura replied with a pencil-thin smile, "You certainly took a lot of damage, didn't you?"

Medaka closed her eyes with a light chuckle. "A few broken bones, and I believe I felt some of my organs shift into the wrong places."

"You can actually tell what is wrong with you?"

"Of course, it is my body after all. Why wouldn't I be able to tell what is wrong with me?" Sakura couldn't help but sweatdrop at how Medaka asked that question like it should be an obvious thing for everyone.

_'Naruto was right about her…' _The medic thought to herself while focusing on restoring the injuries she was able to at the moment. _'Hard to believe someone so smart has a thought process that can't see the differences between her and normal people.'_

Off to the side, Lee and Sai were restraining a struggling Unzen, the ink user creating a few serpents to bind the ten year old while Lee was using his brute strength to hold him in place. Sai was looking at all of the destruction around them, "It is hard to believe that people from the Six Continents were able to do this much damage on their own. This is certainly something that will need to be noted in or reports."

"I think that it is an excellent situation that will allow me to train and grow stronger with all of these worthy adversaries!" Lee commented with an excited look of concentration, "The fact that there are people who strive to improve themselves shows how strong their Flames of Youths are!"

"Flames of Youth? That sounds so freaking stupid." Unzen stated as he tried kicking back at Lee's torso, though with his injuries the blows didn't seem to bother the Taijutsu user that much. "Now let me go, you caterpillar-browed fucker!"

"Such a mouth on this one even though he's so young."

"You're mother likes my mouth!"

Sai tilted his head at that, "I don't have a mother, so I don't think that's possible. Nevertheless, you should calm down. Our medic will take a look at you once she has finished with Medaka-san."

"Like I want some large foreheaded chick looking at me!" Unzen retorted with narrow eyes and clenched teeth, only for a hand to come up and flick him in the forehead. Despite the simple act, the impact dealt a great deal of pain and caused blood to drip down his face. Turning his head to face the owner of the hand, he was met with the glaring, green eyes of Sakura, "What the hell?!"

"Brats should learn manners." Sakura replied with crossed arms.

Unzen scoffed at that, "Screw your manners, flatty!"

"You know, he does have a point. Compared to all the girls we've seen since we've got here, you are on the small si-"

With a few large twitch marks forming, Sakura slammed her fist against the craniums of Unzen and Sai, causing comically large lumps to form on the top of their heads. "Keep talking like that and I'll put you both in worse conditions than when I got here!"

"She sure has an angry temper to her, doesn't she?" Zenkichi commented with an awkward laugh, a mostly recovered Medaka riding piggyback with his jacket draped over her practically nude form. Sakura had managed to deal with most of the damage done to the girl, but she still recommended that they take her to the hospital

"You have no idea." Naruto muttered with a heavy sigh.

**(Three Weeks Later)**

It had been an interesting time for Naruto and the group assigned to watch over him, with all of them staying in the old school building on Hakoniwa Academy's campus known as Ghost Babel. The manager of the building was someone that Naruto knew well and had no issue with the group of five staying with him, Maguro Kurokami, Medaka's older brother. At first, the man had charge them living expenses and, to a 'lighter' extent, his electric bill, during their stay. Naruto had to use two of his trump cards for dealing with the man, which had covered most of the cost.

The first was a promise to get Medaka to come and visit, something that made the girl freak out a little after seeing that her childhood friend had made a submission in the Medaka Box. As for Naruto's second trump card, it involved Naruto transforming into an exact copy of his Abnormal childhood friend and the two Medakas asking Maguro at the exact same time to let Naruto and his friends stay at Ghost Babel with a cutesy voice… The blonde seriously owed Medaka a lot for doing that, to which she requested that he transform into a puppy dog and let her pet him for as long as she wanted, regardless to the embarrassing fact that everybody watched him transform into a cute animal.

It made it worse that Zenkichi took a photo of it on his phone.

But this was the furthest thing from the strawberry blonde's mind as a masked boy wearing the school uniform grabbed him from behind and slammed him into the ground, just as he was about to strike another uniformed teen with spiked up yellow hair and red eyes. He was a Senior Abnormal from Class 13 named Oudo Miyakonojou, whose words alone seemed to affect both Medaka and Zenkichi, forcing them to the floor with a single order.

"It is foolish of you to interfere with a King's romance conquest!" Oudo stated as he removed his hand from the frozen Medaka's chin, who stared at the man with a frown on her face as she processed his words on her becoming his bride. She tried to move as the Senior made his way to the struggling Zenkichi under the grip of another Abnormal named Mizou Yukuhashi. "You will pay for it with your li-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as a foot colliding into the back of his head, belonging to an angry Naruto striking him with his bandaged arm in a sling. "What the hell are you bastards doing to my friends?!"

"Oudo!" The masked Abnormal called out in shock at the fact that his classmate was surprised attacked by an injured, whisker-faced blonde that appeared out of nowhere, and sent falling forward a few meters pass him. But Yukuhashi didn't have time to process this as he felt a sharp pain in his side before he too was knocked away from Zenkichi.

"N-Naruto," Medaka asked as she looked up at Naruto while picking in surprise, before a thought occurred to her. This was the second time that someone else basically saved her during a confrontation with an Abnormal student involved with Class 13 and this mysterious **Flask Plan**.

"Let's just say it's a good thing I stopped by your siscon of a brother's room when I got bored."

"Why would you go to his room because of boredom?"

"I thought it would be funny to see his reaction after getting rid of his Medaka-chan Merchandise. Turns out that he has dozens of copies in multiple rooms."

An uneasy expression quickly grew on Medaka's face after hearing that, _'… I am seriously having second thoughts about possibly seeing him later. Maybe avoiding Onii-san for the rest of my life would be the best choice.'_

"Who the hell do you think you are, striking the head of a King?!" Oudo shouted angrily as he watched the orange wearing blonde reach his unbandage hand out and helped Medaka to her feet, an exact double doing the same with Zenkichi while Yukuhashi was seen lying on the ground a few feet away while a hand raised to a crack part of his mask.

Naruto turned his head to look at Oudo with a raised eyebrow, "A king? Like in shogi? That's a weird thing to call yourself, ya know."

"No, Naruto. A king is a ruler, kind of like your Daimyōs and Feudal Lords." Zenkichi explained as he limped over to Naruto and Medaka, the clone that his friend used to help him dispersing itself a second earlier.

"Really? That's what this guy is calling himself? I've met tons of those before, and he's not on their level." Naruto replied with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

"Y-You… little piss-ant!" Narrowing his eyes as he glared at the new face standing in his way, "**KNEEL."**

"Huh-!?" Feeling a sudden pressure start to overtake him out of nowhere, Naruto barely had time to process what was happening as his upper body slowly started falling forward.

"NARUTO!" Medaka and Zenkichi exclaimed with worry as they watched their childhood friend start to fall to the ground like they did only minutes ago.

"Heh. Right where you belong-WHAT!?" The arrogant look on Oudo's face was instantly replaced with shock as Naruto's body came to a halt just as his knees where starting to bend, before straightening themselves as the younger blonde raised his head to look up at the Abnormal.

"I don't know what that was, but Naruto Uzumaki doesn't kneel to anybody! Especially to an asshole like you, ya know!" Naruto shouted angrily as he fully raised his body and glared at Oudo, shocking both the so-called "King" and his friends. A wild burst of chakra started pouring off Naruto's shoulders as he used his left hand to grab the bandages covering his right arm and began tearing it off. "So, that's the trick you used on Medaka-chan and Zenkichi, huh?" The remains of the bandages were seen getting picked up by the wind as Naruto's right hand clenched tightly into a fist before punching it into his open left palm. "Let's see you try that crap on me again. I'll deck you even harder!"

"… Interesting, only five other people have managed to resist the power of my **Weighted Words**… I wonder if you can keep doing it!?" Oudo shouted with a demonic smirk on his face as his red eyes seemed to glow slightly. **"PROSTRATE BEFORE YOUR KING!"**

This time, all three friends felt gravity turn against them as Medaka and Zenkichi almost instantly fell to their knees like earlier, except the pressure was much stronger in comparison, sweat fell down Naruto's face as he was seen greatly struggling while began to bend his knees and descend lower than he had previously. Suddenly, Oudo's eyes widened as the blue energy coming from Naruto turned red as even more chakra poured out of him, Naruto's body halting its descent almost instantly before snapped his head up to once again glare at him, only this time with a wilder, animalistic appearance such as crimson eyes that had slitted pupils and his whiskers thickened as well. But that wasn't all Oudo saw, with his gaze meeting Naruto's, he could see something else… a demonic fox-like creature glaring back at him!

Gritting his fanged teeth, only three words escaped Naruto's lips, **"FUCK OFF, TEME!"**

Oudo was shocked as he felt his body come crashing to the ground, his head pressing into the floor as his lower body pressed into his knees holding it up. "B-But, how?! How could you throw my power back at me? Are you an Abnormal too?!"

"Abnormal? You're not even close!" Naruto shouted as he sensed Medaka and Zenkichi slowly rise back up to their feet next to him, "I'm a Shinobi of Konohagakure. I never run away, I never back down, and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo!" Making his way quickly towards Oudo, Naruto soon came to a stop right in front of the kneeling man before reaching down and grabbed Oudo by his collar, pulling back his right clenched fist that was infused with the Kyuubi's chakra.

_'This is impossib-!?'_ That was all Oudo's mind could process just seconds before the younger blond threw his fist forward, Naruto landing a clean blow to the Oudo's face, causing it to swell around the impact before the older teen was sent flying back until he crashed into a nearby wall.

"You can call yourself a king or whatever, but I'm going to become Hokage!"

Yukuhashi couldn't believe what had just happened, not only did someone resist Oudo's **Weighted Words**, they threw it right back at him and landed a clean hit to face. What worse was all the hatred and negative emotions that were coming from Naruto, it was too much to handle and nauseating. Relief soon came as the red energy around Naruto dispersed as the blonde turned and focused his attention on his two friends. Taking advantage of the situation, Yukuhashi rushed over to Oudo's side just as the red eyed man removed himself from the wall with a hand resting on the area where he was struck.

"Oudo-"

"He struck me twice… and made me bleed…" Oudo spoke up as he removed his hand to reveal that his nose was now broken with blood pouring out of it and down his face, as well as a large bruise forming around the left side of his face. The Abnormal's body began to tremble as he clenched his bloody hand into a tight fist, gritting his teeth and a look of rage formed on his face, "A FUCKING NOBODY DARES TO INJURE ME LIKE THIS!?"

Medaka, Naruto and Zenkichi turned their heads towards the shouting to see Oudo was now glaring at them with what seemed to be electricity coming off his body. Naruto maneuvered himself in front of his friends once again, "He's a lot more durable than I thought. Maybe a **Rasengan** will shut him up-!?" Naruto was cut off as Medaka delivered a chop to the back of his head, catching him by surprise as he turned to face the girl with an annoyed look as a cartoonish lump formed on the back of his head, "What the hell, Medaka-ch-!" Once again, Naruto was interrupted, but this time by Zenkichi, who delivered a punch to his cheek that caused his friend to take a step back from the impact. "You too, Zenkichi?"

"Sorry Naruto, but you are forgetting that you are a guest her, while Senior Year Oudo Miyakonojou of Class 13 is a student at Hakoniwa Academy." Medaka stated with a smile as she walked passed Naruto until she was a few feet ahead of him, "It is not your job to defeat and reform him."

"Medaka-chan is right, Naruto." Zenkichi nodded as he walked passed Naruto as well until he was standing next to Medaka, "That's the job of us Student Council Members."

"… Hahaha… HAHAHAHA~! You two must be beyond foolish!" The enraged glare that Oudo gained a smug aura to it as he shifted his gaze to Medaka and Zenkichi, who were now positioning themselves in front of the Shinobi. "In case you both are too stupid to realize it, neither of you can stand up to the power of the King! While it was most likely a fluke, that pissant behind you managed to land a hit on me, something I will not allow to go unpunished… So why don't you both… **GET OUT OF MY WAY!**"

The female Abnormal and Normal students could feel the power behind Oudo's **Weighted Words**, followed by the almost overwhelming urge to follow his command. But to the Students of Class 13's shock, neither Medaka nor Zenkichi moved from their spots as they both narrowed their eyes despite how strong their bodies were trembling. In fact, Medaka could be seen closing her eyes briefly while Zenkichi took in a deep breath, before their bodied seemed to relax a little.

Straightening their forms, the Student Council President and her General Manager only had one thing to say to Oudo. **"NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!"** With that one statement, a small gust of wind erupted off of their bodies and traveled towards the shocked Oudo, whose eyes widened greatly.

_'What the hell?! These two were succumbing to my words minutes ago, and now they've developed some resistance to it! How is this possible?'_ Oudo's gaze shifted to the non-student standing behind the two, the annoying smirk still on his face as he watched Medaka and Zenkichi remain standing. _'Is it because of that insect? Could his presence have somehow raised their spirits and willpower to shrug off my power?'_ Oudo's gaze slowly shifted to upwards as he finally took notice to Naruto's attire, specifically the metal headband over his forehead, _'… Wait… That's one of those headbands that come from that land of Shinobi and Samurais… So this is the one that Chairman Shiranui told us about…'_

**_"You may want to keep an eye out for a certain Shinobi from the Elemental Nations that goes by the name of Naruto Uzumaki. He is a very close friend to Medaka Kurokami and the Normal known as Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, having known the both of them since they were toddlers despite living in a different continent."_** Hakama Shiranui explained to Oudo and the other five members of Class 13 that were in his office after Medaka left,** _"He is a unique specimen. Naruto and the other Shinobi of the Elemental Nations, despite all of their prowess and abilities, are still considered to be classified as a mix of Normals and Specials. But that boy's what is known as a Jinchūriki, one of nine unique Shinobi that are said to possess powers beyond the abilities of an Abnormal. It is likely because of that, that he was able to hold back Medaka when she went berserk in the battle against Unzen."_**

"HahahaHAHAHAHA~!" The childhood friends kept cool expressions as Oudo started laughing out of nowhere, "I see, so that is how it is. To think that something as ridiculously simple as competitive friendship would be enough to strengthen your body and minds."

"I'm surprised that you're taking this so well, Oudo." Yukuhashi commented as the cracked part of his mask broke off a little more and a fragment fell off to reveal a green eye staring at the taller Abnormal. "Usually I'm telling you about not losing your temper and have no qualms about executing your citizens. But I guess that's a good thing for you in order to create that paradise you want."

"You are correct about that, Yukuhashi. But don't talk so overly dramatic and violent," Oudo replied with a smirk on his face, tapping his temple as he turned his gaze briefly towards the masked Abnormal before looking back towards Medaka, Naruto and Zenkichi. "We are peace-loving, common, ordinary, typical, every-day, normal, average, run-of-the-mill high school students and nothing more… However, that doesn't mean something interesting can't catch my attention."

_'His attention?'_ Naruto thought to himself as he watched the red-eyed male Abnormal reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded letter with Medaka's name on it. A submission for her suggestion box.

"It hadn't been my plan to meet with you today, but I suppose it is better knowing that this will reach you personally instead of simply being dumped into a box." Tossing the paper towards Medaka, Oudo didn't even wait for it to land at the girl's feet as he spun around and started walking away. "That is a date proposal. Meet me at the place and time written there, then we'll have the chance to have a more excessive discussion."

"You continue making demands after trying to force yourself on a young girl's lips!" Medaka retorted angrily as she glared at the retreating Oudo with Yukuhashi following a few steps behind him. "I have nothing to say to you!"

Oudo came to a halt at the Student Council President's words, causing Yukuhashi to do the same as he quietly waited. "Don't be so stubborn. I'm sure you felt it… The same feeling you experienced when you crossed paths with Myouri Unzen." Medaka's widened at that, "I have much more of that… You are an Abnormals like us, like the rest of Class 13, so don't waste your life on these worthless Normals. You weren't born to serve peasants, you were born specifically for me."

The three remained silent as they watched the two Abnormals walk away and disappear from sight. Seconds later, Medaka and Zenkichi plopped themselves on a nearby bench while Naruto stood in front of his friends with arms crossed, "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you." Zenkichi replied as he felt all of the pressure from the confrontation finally lifted itself from the area, releasing a heavy sigh. "I'm really impressed. You were able to fight off that guy's **Weighted Words**."

"So that's what that bastard's ability was… Explains his pompous ass personality." Naruto shrugged his shoulders at that, "It's not liked I'd listen to him anyways. You know how I am when it comes to assholes like that ordering me around. Got to keep a strong will to match a strong body."

Hearing a soft chuckle coming from Medaka caught the two blondes' attentions, "Just goes to show that I am right on how rusty I have gotten from holding back for so long. You've been working hard to keep improving yourself no matter how strong you become… I need to do the same and upgrade myself. Senior Miyakonojou is such a shameless man to speak of me becoming his wife regardless of how I feel. For my response to this proposal, I will enjoy reforming him."

"It looks like your enjoying yourself now with that huge smile on your face." Zenkichi pointed out while Medaka stood up from the bench.

"Huh? I'm smiling?" Medaka asked while looking back at the strawberry blonde.

Naruto nodded his head as he pointed a finger at her large smile on her face, "Yeah, a big one. You look like you're enjoying the fact that there are more Abnormals like those two and the brat from the other day."

_'It does make sense. There aren't a lot of people that Medaka-chan has much success with when it comes to bonding with ordinary folks, not even me.' _Zenkichi thought to himself with a small frown, watching as the bluenette started pulling at her cheeks to erase the frown on her face. _'Naruto and people from the Elemental Nations have been the closest to such a thing, though that might be kind of a stretch… I need to focus on getting stronger like Medaka-chan and Naruto, or else I'm gonna be left in the dust.'_

"So how're you gonna upgrade yourself?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, making Medaka release her cheeks to look at him. "Do you want me to help you and Zenkichi get some training in?"

"Actually, I'm going to pay my older brother a visit."

Both Naruto and Zenkichi stared at Medaka in shock at that, the latter shot to his feet instantly. "Y-You're actually going to see him? Face to face? Willingly?"

"You were angry at me for getting you over to the Ghost Babel just a few weeks ago, ya know. Are you sure you wanna see him so soon?" Naruto added with a concerned expression, remembering how freaked out and flushed the normally calm Medaka had been when she stopped by upon his request.

It was understandable with how obsessed the older Kurokami sibling was when it came to his sister, having created rooms of merchandise that were Medaka-based or documentaries of life events that had been recorded in books… Sometimes Naruto was glad that he didn't have any siblings from seeing how his friends reacted to theirs. They were either hated each other's guts and wished the other dead, one sibling was too obsessed about the other, or something in their family was creating difficult tensions between the two. The closest thing to a brother would either be Zenkichi and Sasuke because of the bonds he shared with them, though the latter was currently a difficult subject after everything that has happened so far.

"Well, as long as the two of you are with me, I'm sure everything will be fine." Medaka said with a warm smile on her face, "I refuse to see that man by myself."

"There you are, Naruto!"

Blinking at the familiar voice calling out to them, the three turned in time to see Sakura land in a crouch nearby before rushing towards them. Taking a step forward, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the girl seemed to be out of breath. "Huh? Sakura? What's wrong?"

"We just got word from Tsunade-sama and the village about some new information that was confirmed last night by Jiraiya-sama… Sasuke-kun killed Orochimaru!" Sakura practically shouted.

"…Seriously?" Naruto muttered with wide eyes, before a small grin formed on his face. "Well, I guess Orochimaru bit of more than he could chew… But I'm guessing that the info they got doesn't include the idiot being seen heading back to Konoha?"

The dejected look on Sakura's face was more than enough of an answer. A concerned Medaka and Zenkichi stared at their childhood friend's back, with the blonde Chūnin oddly silent.

"Naruto…"

"It does make sense, after all, you did say that he what most in the world was…"

"The death of his older brother, Itachi Uchiha." Naruto finished with gritted teeth and clenched fists, before closing his eyes with a deep exhale. "… I should've known that my vacation was going to be interrupted by something like this… We'll need to go back so Granny Tsunade can get a team together, because if Sasuke is going after his brother then he'll be targeting members of Akatsuki! One of the biggest missions we still have going on is to go after Akatsuki, so Itachi is the one we need to capture."

"Which is why Hokage-sama and Kakashi-sempai requesting us back as soon as possible." Yamato spoke up as he, Sai and Lee arrived behind Sakura, "There is going to be two teams working in tandem in the search for Itachi."

"Captain Yamato… But…" Turning his gaze to look at his childhood friends, Naruto had a hesitant look on his face.

Seeing his expression, Zenkichi brought his palm against Naruto's back. "What's with the sour look? We can take care of our problems just fine."

"Zenkichi is right." Medaka added after pulling out her fan, holding it in front of her mouth. "Besides, this is a goal that you've been so hard for these past three years. Don't let the chance slip through your fingers. We will handle Senior Miyakonojou and students of Class 13. You need to deal with Sasuke and the Akatsuki."

There was no doubt in their eyes as they encouraged him to go back to the Elemental Nations, to which Naruto slapped his cheeks before a determined expression formed on his face. "Right! Sasuke's gonna return to the village whether that idiot comes willing or not! Even if I have to break every bone in his body to do it, ya know!"

"We've still got at least two days before the transport ship arrives to take us back." Yamato explained to the four teenage Shinobis, "Plenty of time for us to make sure we have everything packed up before we leave."

"Yes, sir!" Naruto and the other three replied with nods of their heads.

"That's perfect then," Opening her fan with a closed-eyed nod, Medaka looked between Naruto and Zenkichi. "You both can accompany me to see Onii-chan."

"Sure."

"No problem."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Does Medaka-san really not like her brother? I mean, I know he seems weird and sometimes difficult to understand, but he didn't seem that bad." Sakura asked as she leaned in a little closer to Naruto, who let out an awkward chuckle.

"Medaka-chan loves her brother, but he can be a little… difficult for her to handle." It was probably one of the only things in life that Medaka couldn't maintain a cool head with when dealing with her brother's overly affectionate personality (Perverted Sister Complex). This was going to be destructive. Of that, Naruto and Zenkichi had no doubt.

**(A Few Days Later)**

"Get those barrels on board now!"

"Make sure those lines will hold for the journey back!"

"How's our food stock looking?"

"You idiot! Don't be so reckless with those crate!"

Resting his arms on the railing of the ship, Naruto silently watched as sailors move about on the ports, checking all the supplies and equipment that were resting on the docks next to the boats and ships being used for transport. The captain had told the group that the ship had encountered some difficulties on the route from the Elemental Nations to Japan, adding several hours thanks to the work needed for repairs in addition to the resupplying. Sakura, Sai and Lee were staring at Naruto's back as he continued to watch them work, looking at each other briefly before the pinkette moved closer to Naruto.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked as she stood next to the blonde with her back to the railing, "… You know that they'll be fine. Medaka-san and Zenkichi-san can handle whatever comes their way."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, of course I know that. My minds just thinking about all sorts of stuff…" Thinking back to an earlier conversation that he had with Maguro when Medaka and Zenkichi left that morning to confront Oudo, Naruto had a frown on his face. "… Hey Sakura, what you do think of a drink that could turn someone into something more than themselves? Giving them all these abilities, knowledge and physical capabilities that normal people couldn't achieve in their lives."

Sakura had a thoughtful look on her face before shaking her head with a frown, "A formula like that sounds good in theory, but something like that sounds not only dangerous, it completely changes what it means to be Human. It is basically in our blood to be different from one another, where some excel at something more than others while don't do as good."

"Yeah, I could never agree to something like that." Naruto replied as an image of Sasuke and Medaka flashed through his mind, "I've been working and pushing my body to the limit to get where I am. To just give all that up and take the easy way out or change who I am, it puts a bad taste in my mouth just talking about it, ya know?"

"Does this have to do with what Kurokami-san and her Student Council is facing?" Sai spoke up as he and Lee walked up to the two. Hearing about this supposed formula caught the pale teen's attention.

Lee had a deep frown on his face as he held a clenched fist in front of his face, "Such a creation would be most unyouthful! Taking something that makes you a genius goes against everything I believe in when it comes to hark worker beating natural talent!"

"Whatever the case may be, this is something that Kurokami-san and her group need to take care themselves." Yamato called out as he approached the four Chūnin, "As much as we want to help, our orders are clear. Hokage-sama wants us all back to continue the Akatsuki Pursuit Mission… You still wanna find Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

"Of course I-"

"Are one of ye brats, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Turning their heads to look down at the docks, the five ninjas saw a middle-aged man wearing a pirate-like attire and a thick beard that is tied into three individual braids at its bottom. It was the captain of the ship, and the shocking thing about the guy was that both of his eyes were covered by eyepatches.

Naruto blinked as he called out to the man, "That's me! Is something wrong?"

"I got a strange call from someone askin for ye!" The captain shouted back before tossing a cellphone up towards the Jinchūriki with surprising accuracy, right in Naruto's outstretched hand that went up to his ear.

"… Hello?"

_"Heh heh, awesome! I knew I called at the right time!"_

Raising an eyebrow at the female voice, Naruto took a few steps away from the team of Shinobis. He recognized it from when Zenkichi introduced him to the short, blue-haired girl that he had become friends with, "Chibi-Shiranui?"

_"So you remember me. That's perfect!" _Hansode Shiranui replied with a happy tone, completely ignoring the nickname that Naruto continued to call her upon their meeting for the first time. _"I just called to tell you that something is happening back at the Academy that you need to be aware of."_

"Why do I need to know? I'm sure that Medaka-chan and Zenkichi have it covered."

_"And what if they're the reason I'm calling?"_

Naruto froze at that, something that the others noticed. "What do you mean?"

_"The Abnormals of Class 13 have captured the Princess and brainwashed her. If you don't hurry, then I doubt our beloved friend will be able to handle Medaka II."_

"Princess? Belove… Zenkichi! Are you saying Medaka-chan might do something?! How do you know this?"

He could hear Shiranui giggle on the other line, _"Silly Naru~! I'm surprised that Zenkichi didn't tell you that I have a network of information! There isn't any sort of information that I can't acquire!" _

"… Just who the hell are you? There's no way you're an ordinary Normal student." Naruto questioned as his grip on the cellphone tighten and caused large cracks to form on the mobile device. "I could tell something was off when we met… ANSWER ME!"

A sudden tension grew as he could practically feel the emotions coming from the girl instantly vanish, _"Who? Let's just say that I'm someone who's spent enough time in the shadows of another person to know where and how to get what I want… Better hurry back~!"_ Before he could say anything else, the line went dead as Shiranui ended the call.

"Damn it!" Naruto shouted as he threw the phone towards the wooden flooring, shattering it into pieces. This caught Sakura by surprise as she watched Naruto rush towards the boat's railing. "Change in plans! I've got to go back now!"

"Wait, Naruto! Tell us what's going on!" Sakura shouted as she moved close to Naruto, only to take a step back as a familiar red shroud began to form around him. "The Kyuubi's Chakra Cloak?!"

Raising his hand up to Naruto's back, Yamato narrowed his eyes. "Stop right there, Naruto! If you let your emotions get the better of you again, the Kyuubi will take over again and create chaos."

"I'll be **fine! I just need the boost to get me there quickly!"** Naruto shouted back, his voice a little distorted from the Bijuu's Chakra.

"The ship is going to leave soon. Even if we request that they delay their departure, I doubt that it could be for more than an hour or two at best." Sai commented as he brought his hand up to his chin to form a thinking pose.

**"Plenty of time!"**

"Naruto, I am ordering you to stay here! Your recklessness will end up getting people hurt or worse!" Blocks of wood could be seen coming out of various spots on Yamato's arm as the Jōnin readied his **Wood Release Jutsu**, "If you do not follow my directions then I will be forced to restrain you! Don't think that I won't do it!"

The blonde was quiet for a few seconds, frozen in his position with one foot raised onto the railing while Kyuubi's cloak continued to ooze around him with two tails already formed with a third one emerging. **"… You know… There wasn't a lot of things that I consider Kakashi-sensei to have taught me. He usually focused on teamwork exercises or read his book while our team was on missions, the only time that I believe that he tried to teach anything was the Tree-Climbing Exercise, but I already knew how to do that and Water-Walking. He pushed me off to some stupid Jōnin that didn't teach me anything before Ero-Sennin knocked him out, just so he could focus on Sasuke and taught him the Chidori."** Naruto frowned as he raised his hand to the right side of his chest, over the lung that Sasuke had pierced through with that very Jutsu before the Kyuubi healed it completely. **"There is one thing that he taught me that I treasure, the very first lesson he ever told us…** **Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."**

Sakura's eyes widened at that, Kakashi's words of that day when Team 7 was formed were still fresh in her mind. She wasn't the only one to recognize it as Yamato narrowed his eyes, hesitating for a just a second… But that was more than enough.

**"If I'm gonna be considered scum either way, I'd rather do everything I can to help my friends, ya know."** Naruto stated before leaping off of the boat with a powerful jump, the boat rocking back and forth several times with huge splashes of water soaking the people on the docks.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she rushed to the railing, only to watch as Naruto's form disappeared from sight.

Lowering his arm, Yamato gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damnit!"

"Shall we pursue him, Captain Yamato?" Sai asked as he turned to face the Wood User.

"I believe we should try and help Naruto-kun out!" Lee exclaimed while pumping his fists in front of his face, flames forming in his eyes as he spoke. "Even if it does cost us time, we shouldn't abandon the people we met at Hakoniwa Academy when they need help!"

"But we received orders to return to the village," Sai countered with a small frown. Though he was starting to understand bonds a little bit, the Root Training that he had been given had always pushed the necessities of following any orders that were given by people of high rank, especially Danzō and the Hokage.

"… I think we should try and hold the boat from departing…" Sakura finally said as she looked back at her team. "As the rate he's moving, I doubt we'll be able to catch up to him and stop him from doing everything he can to reach Medaka-san and Zenkichi-san."

Yamato was quiet for almost a minute as he silently thought about their situation, coming to a conclusion. "Fine. Lee, Sai, I want you both to do everything you can to delay the captain and the ships departure until we get back. If we don't come back in two hours, I want you to head back to Konohagakura and inform Hokage-sama of the situation… Worst case scenario, the three of us return on the next ship in a few days."

"Yosh!"

"Very well."

Turning his head to the pinkette, the man had a stern look on his face. "We will give chase after Naruto and make sure he doesn't go berserk because of the Kyuubi's chakra. Let's go, Sakura."

"Yes, sir!" Sakura nodded her head before following after Yamato as he leaped off the boat.

As Lee and Sai remained behind on the ship and watched the two chase after Naruto, the Captain walked up to them with a parrot on his shoulder. "Alright boyo, I've lent ye my phone long enough! Hand it over!"

"Braaaah! Hand it over, please!" The parrot repeated while tilting its head a bit.

The Ink Jutsu User and Taijutsu User shared a quick glance before turning their gaze to the shattered remains of the Captain's cellphone laying on the wooden deck… Before turning their gaze to the outstretched hand of the bearded man.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Meanwhile, on the rooftops of the city path leading to Hakoniwa Academy, Naruto could be seen running across the roofs as fast as he could. His face cleary had a pained expression on his face as he felt the throbbing pressure of Kyuubi's chakra getting to him as each second past. Flinching lightly as he landed on the next building, Naruto had to regain his balance before he started running again. The blonde could also feel the corruptive temptations that usually followed start to affect his mind, though he was doing his best to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.

**_"Do you honestly believe that you'll make it there in time? A weak Human like you can barely handle my Chakra without being corrupted,"_** The Kyuubi's voice echoed within Naruto's mind as the shroud covering Naruto grew a fourth tail and his physical features turned more animalistic, black rings forming around his eyes and lips while some of his skin started to peel off. **_"Just give into it. Do so, and I'll guarantee your friends safety and destroy their enemies."_**

_**"**…** N-No… I-I can do it myself!"**_ Naruto flinched as he felt the pain of Kyuubi's chakra searing against his skin. Medaka and Zenkichi's faces flashed through his mind, making Naruto grit his pointed teeth as he landed on another rooftop and sped to the other side. "**They were _there for me all of these years._"**

_"I don't care if you have a monster sealed inside you."_

_"Come on, Naruto! I refuse to let you brush off your studies! I'll help you!"_

_"From now on, every time we come to visit, we'll be here to welcome you home."_

_"… Even if we both love Medaka-chan, I don't want anything to happen between us. You're my best friend, after all!"_

_"Naruto."_

_"Naruto!"_

"**_I swear_** _I will_ protect them! I won't let anything bad happen to either one of them!" Naruto shouted as he reached the edge of the building's roof, stepping on the ledge as he prepared to leap off. Suddenly all of the pain he was feeling vanished and was replaced with a large surge of power, and the floor under his leg became a large crater as he jumped off. Naruto's eyes widened as he not shot passed the next rooftop, but several after that and still remained airborne. Looking down at one of his hands, he didn't know what to say or think as he saw a strange yellow energy flickering over his arm and the rest of him. "… Is this the Kyuubi's chakra? It feels different…"

The Kyuubi was silent as it automatically knew what was happening to Naruto, lowering his head against its paws with an annoyed look, **"… Hmph…"**

"I feel like I can do anything like this, ya know." Clenching and unclenching his hand as he muttered to himself, Naruto turned his gaze back to the path ahead to see that he was finally starting to descend and was heading towards the street level. Narrowing his eyes as he landed in an open part of the road, Naruto landed in a crouch with his focusing on the path leading to Hakoniwa Academy. "Don't know how long I can use this power, but if it can help me reach the campus even faster then I won't question it!"

Tensing up his legs, the glowing blonde disappeared in a yellow flash before anyone could see him. Each step seemed to clear over ten blocks in a second while buildings, people, and everything else were becoming blurs around Naruto as he focused on making it closer to Hakoniwa Academy. It didn't take him long to arrive at the front gates, but even then the whiskered Shinobi didn't stop there as he continued towards the main building reconstruction site, before coming to a stop as he caught sight of a large sign stabbed into the ground with childish writing and a mini-drawn winking Shiranui's face on it.

Go to the Clock Tower and look down! ;-)

"…" Lifting his head up to the large white tower on the other side of the building, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he once again began running forward. It didn't take him long to make it to the base of the Clock Tower and saw the normally closed entrance was wide open, allowing him to enter the building to see that the interior was definitely high-tech. Coming to a stop at what looked like the ruins of a metal gate that someone had destroyed and a keypad laying on the ground. Looking around with a serious expression, Naruto blinked as he sensed something coming off the ground beneath him… no, whatever the feeling was, it was coming from beneath the floor he was standing on. "So that's what she meant by look down."

**(Meanwhile on the 12th Floor)**

"Forgive me, Zenkichi. But I must end your life," Medaka cried out with tears falling nonstop from the left side of her face. Crouching on top of an injured Zenkichi, who was covered in bandages, bruises and blood dripping from his lips from the blow to his throat that Medaka, no, Medaka II had dealt to him mere seconds ago. Medaka II brought her hands to the strawberry blonde's throat and began squeezing down. "Because that is the only way for me to move closer to achieving perfection."

"Go ahead and kill me!" Zenkichi exclaimed despite the strong grip on his throat, all of his attention focusing on the girl on top of him, a former shell of his female childhood friend after she had been brainwashed by Oudo and his Abnormal abilities. "I'd rather be dead than continue seeing the person you've become."

Before any more words could be said, a loud rumbling sound could be heard coming from above their heads before everyone in the room, the members of Class 13, Medaka's student Council and Maguro, who was hiding somewhere, felt the entire area shake as if they were experiencing an earthquake. Medaka II's head lifted upwards in time to realize that something was coming from the floor above and leaped off of Zenkichi just in time as something glowing yellow broke through the ceiling and crashed into the area between the Abnormal and Normal students.

"Looks like I made it just in time."

Everyone's' heads perked up at the new voice and focused on the dust cloud that had formed between Zenkichi and Medaka II, where a strange glowing figure could be seen standing in the center. With a wave of the figure's hand, they dispersed the cloud to reveal a smirking Naruto… Only he had a strange yellow flame-like energy partially covering his body. The 'flames' seemed to flicked and move about, revealing his normal appearance underneath while the parts that were covered in the energy had some prominent circular/swirl designs and various other lines extending along his body. But just as they got a glimpse of the form, the energy surrounding him vanished and left him in his normal state.

"N… Naruto?" Zenkichi muttered as he stared at the back of his friend. "W-Why are you here? You're supposed to be heading back to Konohagakure by now. And what was that form just now?!"

"No idea, doubt I could do it again at the moment. As for why…" Naruto shifted his gaze briefly at Zenkichi before looking back at Medaka II, "Let's just say someone contacted me just as the ship was doing preparations to take off. But enough about that for now, give me a cliff-note version of what's going on."

Oudo narrowed his eyes, the phantom pain from Naruto's strike the other day flaring up. "This fool again, Naruto Uzumaki."

"So this is the Shinobi who managed to overcome Oudo's **Weighted Words**." A short-haired redheaded girl wearing a mildly-revealing red and white outfit with a yellow cap on her head, commented with a look of awe on her face at Naruto's sudden appearance. Looking up at the large hole above the blonde's head, Itami Koga let out a whistle. "He passed through all eleven floors and he doesn't look even a little tired!"

Youka Naze, whose real name was Kujira Kurokami, Medaka's older sister, was a girl wearing the Hakoniwa Academy uniform with a skin tight black suit underneath it and had bandages wrapped around her head with a dagger sticking out of her forehead, crossed her arms under her large breasts. "He is another person close to Medaka growing up. I wonder how he'll stand against Medaka II."

"Are you okay, Zenkichi?" Naruto asked without taking his eyes off of Medaka, already sensing that something was wrong with the girl upon seen the look on her one-sided teared face and the broken straightjacket she was wearing. "… What did these people do to Medaka-chan?"

Raising to his feet, Zenkichi used his sleeve to brush off the blood from his lips, "Not surprised you picked up on that. These guys brainwashed her so that she agrees with the Flask Plan under the name Medaka II. They tried wiping out her memories, but she's gotten most of them back. But even so…"

_'So, Chibi-Shiranui was telling the truth… Which just adds more questions on how she knew about this.'_ Deciding that it was questions for later, Naruto shifted his position as listened to Zenkichi finish explaining the situation. Shaking his head a few times, the Shinobi focus his attention on the girl in front of him. "All those tears falling down your face and you still tried to finish Zenkichi off? Your soul must be messed up right now, huh, Medaka-chan?"

"… Naruto… You were also someone who gave my life meaning." Medaka II stated, briefly closing her eyes as more memories flashed through her mind, these filled with times she spent with Naruto. The bluenette's eye snapped open just second before she made her move, charging forward at impressive speed and attempted to deliver a kick to Naruto's throat, only for the blonde to intercept it with an open hand. "I see, you were expecting me to strike you down as well."

"I can see how much this is tearing you apart, Medaka-chan… But with all that knowledge going through your head, you forgot about one of the most important things about being human, the very thing that made the real you stronger!" Naruto gritted his teeth as he shoved Medaka II's foot away, causing her to retreat a few feet and readjust herself. "… Giving up on the bonds you made, and sealing away your heart… Do you really think you'll be better off without them?"

Medaka nodded her head as tear finally started to fall on the right side of her face as well, "Of course. I will achieve perfection by obliterating the two of you."

"… If that's what you really think… Then you'll never get stronger or reach new heights! A person only becomes truly strong when they have people that they want to protect, ya know!" An image of Haku's retreating back flashed through Naruto's mind, as well as his memories with Medaka, Zenkichi and all of the other people he cared about. "So… I'll fight you… to protect the Medaka-chan that I know is still inside of you!"

"C-Count me in." Zenkichi spoke up as he finally made it back to his feet, still feeling the soreness from the strike to his neck. "The two of us… are the only ones who can bring the real Medaka-chan back!"

"Heh, looks like once again, Naruto-kun's unpredictability exceeds my analysis." Maguro's voice called out as the sounds of his laughter could be heard, Naruto's random nature was always refreshing to the Abnormal Analysist as he could never truly pinpoint the blonde's limit or get an accurate read on him. "You really like to make such grand appearances just as people are about to give up hope, don't you, Naruto-kun?"

Staring ahead with a blank, deadpanned stare, Naruto was silent for a few seconds while Zenkichi walked up to his side. "Shut it, Ero-Maguro. I'm already going to be in big trouble with my team for rushing off and leaving them behind, ya know!"

"Do you think they'll be able to stand a chance together?" Kikaijima questioned as she watched Naruto place a hand on Zenkichi's shoulder. "I mean, Naruto-san was able to handle Medaka-chan's **War God Mode** for a bit by himself."

"It's honestly hard to tell. We saw how easily she was able to hold Zenkichi off with just her legs, not to mention how she is able to use the Abnormalities of the others." Akune answered with gritted teeth.

Closing his eyes as he started to concentrate, Naruto called out to the powerful entity inside of him. _'Hey, Kyuubi. Do you think your chakra can heal Zenkichi's injuries if I give him some?'_

**_"Hmph! Of course it can!"_** Kyuubi replied from within his cage as he opened one of his eyes, **_"But whether or not his body will be able to handle it is another story entirely. The bodies of these Humans from the Six Continents don't even possess the levels of civilians from your village. Give him too much, and it could harm him."_**

_'Then I'll just have to trust you with the correct amount, right?'_ Naruto replied to the fox with a mental smile. The blonde quickly formed a wall of **Shadow Clones** between Medaka II and the two blondes.

Naruto's words made the Kyuubi go silent as it process the Jinchūriki's words, before letting out a scoff. **_"Saying you trust me so easily… Just don't come to regret those words."_**

"Hmm?" Medaka narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of a red, bubbly aura forming around the hand Naruto had on Zenkichi's shoulder, before it stretched out and soon covered the strawberry blonde in a shroud of energy that grew long foxlike ears and a single tail coming out from behind.

"What the hell?!" Zenkichi exclaimed as he felt a surge of energy rushing throughout his entire body, it was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Raising one of his hands to see shroud doing the same with a claw-like form surrounding his hand, Zenkichi felt Naruto remove his hand from his shoulder. Soon, all the pain from his healing injuries barely felt like heavy tingles. The Normal teen's eyes widened as images of Naruto's form covered in this same energy back during the Chūnin Exams, "Is this… the Kyuubi's chakra?!"

"Just relax, I asked him to heal your injuries. Can't afford to have you slow down during the fight." Naruto stated as he and the shocked spectators watched the shroud around Zenkichi shrink and move inside the Club Typhoon's body. Dismissing his clones, Naruto spun around to face Medaka II and punched his open palm. "So… Are you ready to knock some sense back into Medaka-chan?"

A large, fanged grin formed Zenkichi's face, his eyes flashing red for a split second before returning to his normal blue. "Hell yeah!"

"…" Medaka said nothing as she silently leaned forward a bit.

Most of the onlookers were once again shocked as the two boys sped forward and appeared on either side of Medaka, who kept a neutral expression on her face as she watched the two make their move, intercepting Naruto's fist and Zenkichi's foot with her hands. But neither boy was finished as Zenkichi spun around to use his other leg while Naruto opened his fist and grabbed onto Medaka's hand, holding her in place as Zenkichi's second kick flew at her head. Medaka's body suddenly bent backwards at a weird angle in time to dodge Zenkichi's attack, before using the momentum of her spin to escape Naruto's hold by kicking him in the face. Recovering from the blow, Naruto closed in the gap between him and the bluenette just as she landed gracefully on her feet, throwing several punches at Medaka II to which she blocked a few while countering with a strike to his shoulder. Jumping back in time to avoid her jab to his throat, Naruto's eyes widened as the Abnormal pulled a few pairs of syringes out of nowhere and threw them at him, before retrieving shuriken from his pouch and flung them at the incoming projectiles. The shuriken easily shattered the needles before sailing passed Medaka II, slicing a few strands of hair in the process, before curving upward and lodging themselves into the ceiling.

"It looks like she's not holding back now." Naruto deduced while Zenkichi landed next to him, weaving through several hand seals. "Zenkichi!"

"Right!" Raising his left foot high, Zenkichi quickly brought it down with a stomp so powerful that the surrounding hexagon floor tiles come undone and elevation into the air.

Finishing with a Tiger Hand Seal, Naruto channeled his chakra into the airborne tiles, taking control of them and sending the now spinning tiles at Medaka. "**Ninja Art: Tile Shuriken!**"

"Not bad, but foolish." Medaka II stated as she moved effortlessly through the barrage of shuriken coming at her. It was almost as if the bluenette was dancing with how graceful she moved while avoiding the dozens of floor tiles coming at her.

"That was Takachiho's **Auto-Pilot**!?" Naze spoke up in surprise at yet another one of the Abnormalities that her sister was able to learn from the other members of Class 13.

As Medaka II finished dodging the **Tile Shuriken**, she was greeted by Naruto and Zenkichi rushing towards her not even seconds behind the tiles. Bringing up her arms to block their attacks once again, the bluenette immediately took notice to the increase in speed coming from the two of them and reciprocate by doing the same, only to feel something wrap around her wrists as she continued to intercept their attacks. A nearby light revealed glints of wire string wrapped around her wrists and originated from Naruto's hands, to which he pulled on the wire and bound her hands together long enough for Zenkichi to land a powerful blow to her stomach and sent her a few feet back. Snapping the wires apart and freeing her hands, Medaka II lifted her head in time to see Naruto diving at her from the air with a flying kick.

Shifting to the side, Medaka II evaded Naruto's kick causing it to shatter the flooring behind her and proceeded to strike his exposed back, only for Naruto to spin around and use the bottom of his foot to knock Medaka II's kick away before he started to exchange blows with the Abnormal. The whiskered blonde did his best to block and counter Medaka II's attacks using some of the fighting style that Jiraiya had taught him called Frog Kata, landing a few solid hits in retaliation to the ones the Abnormal scored. He didn't learn much since the man had stated that he needed to train to be a sage to truly harness the style's true power, but for right now it was helping him out a lot. Finding an opening as he knocked Medaka II's arms away, Naruto dealt a back fist to the side of her face before following it up with a knee strike to her chin, but the girl recovered enough to catch it with her hands… But that only made Naruto smirk as he brought his own hands down and held hers against his knee.

Just as Medaka II realized what he was planning, Zenkichi quickly came up from behind and performed a roundhouse kick to her head that connected with her temple, sending her flying back through the air. Despite feeling the shakiness following from the blow to her head, Medaka II managed to regain her balance and landed on her bare feet, though the force of her landing carved large cracks under her. Raising her right foot, Naruto's eyes widened at seeing one of his kunai knives hanging on her large toe by the hole at the end of the handle. The girl kicked the blade into the air before catching it in a reverse grip and charged forward once again.

Moving himself in front of Zenkichi, Naruto reached into his back pouch and pulled out what looked like an elongated kunai knife with Konoha's leaf symbol on the base, using it to intercept Medaka II's weapon. Sparks flew through the air as the knives in Naruto and Medaka II's hands clashed with each powerful and fast-paced swing they took. But some quickly took notice to the cracks forming on the kunai Medaka II wielded as Naruto's weapon appeared to be made of stronger material, and with one last swing of his blade, the blonde Shinobi shattered the smaller kunai into large fragments. This didn't stop Medaka II, however, as she sent a kick at the hand Naruto held the kunai, hitting it at just the right angle that caused it to fly out of his hand and spiraled into the ceiling above where the shuriken that Naruto had thrown earlier were located. The force behind the spinning knife not only dislodged the shuriken, but knocked them towards Medaka II, who caught them by sticking her fingers through the holes in the center.

"Heh, not bad. Last time I saw someone do that was when my team was fighting Kakashi in that survival exercise." Naruto smirked, before he and Zenkichi rushed towards the brainwashed Abnormal, who said nothing as she threw the shuriken at the two. Shifting out of the way to avoid the incoming projectiles with ease, the two blondes caught sight of ninja wire stretching from the shuriken to Medaka II's hand, which jerked back causing the aerial weapons to come back towards the two. "How many tools did she steal from me? And where is she hiding them?!"

"Just watch yourself, Naruto!" Zenkichi warned as he instantly recognized the ability Medaka II was using, having fought the original user earlier. "She's copied many the Abnormalities of Class 13, this is the ability of a guy I fought a few floors up, Munakata, Medaka-chan can hide weapons on her person no matter the size or how deadly it is."

"Seriously?!" The Shinobi exclaimed as he dodged the returning shuriken before grabbing onto the wires connected to them, giving them a hard pull on the line connected to Medaka II's hand… only for her to release her grip to reveal an explosive tag with the corner already on fire. Naruto's eyes widen in shock as the paper was flew towards him and Zenkichi, shoving his friend away with gritted teeth before raising his arms in front of his face "SH-!"

Zenkichi stared in shock as the paper bomb explosion went off and trapped Naruto in a ball of flames and smoke, before his burning form was sent crashing into a nearby wall from the force of the explosion. But he didn't have time to think about it as he saw Medaka II rush towards him, sending out a kick to intercept her stretched out hand. The two exchanged hard stares before the strawberry blonde and bluenette continued the battle while moving at higher speeds that before.

"How is Hitoyoshi-kun moving even faster than before?" Kikaijima couldn't believe what she was seeing, especially when the Normal teen had struggled so much against Medaka II not even twenty minutes ago.

"It's not just his speed, both his body's durability and strength is gone up a few levels as well." Akune pointed out as he and the others watched Zenkichi actually take several blows from Medaka II, yet he somehow managed to brush them off to continue fighting the girl off. "It must've been because of that weird shroud Naruto put over him before… Looks like it did more than just heal the guy."

"Whoa~! That Normal is on a whole new level!" Koga said with wide eyes, part of her seeing similarities in how a Normal like Zenkichi was fighting of Medaka II thanks to whatever enhancement Naruto gave him, compared to the cybernetic remodeling that Naze had done to her to change Koga from a Normal into an Abnormal. Except there was one major difference. "How long do you think he can keep this up?"

"No idea, but I doubt whatever boost he received will remain for much longer." Naze replied as she studied the battle with calculations going through her mind with each blow she saw Zenkichi land on Medaka II. But her attention quickly shifted downwards as a large crack formed in the ground under the clashing childhood friends' feet. "Hmmm?"

She wasn't the only one as Medaka II's gaze lowered to the floor to see the crack growing twice as large in a split second, before an unharmed Naruto emerged from the ground with a yellow, chakra-infused right fist ready to uppercut her. Bujust as the brainwashed Abnormal was about to move back and dodge the incoming punch, the soft sounds of something popping was heard coming from behind her and she felt something powerful connect with the pack of her head, pushing her forward towards Naruto. It had happened in an instant, but some of the airborne rubble created by Naruto and Zenkichi's attacks had exploded into puffs of smoke before turning into multiple **Shadow Clones** of Naruto, with one of them using the **Substitution Jutsu **to switch places with Zenkichi before the remaining clones threw the strawberry blonde at Medaka II from behind, allowing him to deliver a kick to the back of her head. Similar smirks formed on both Naruto and Zenkichi's faces as the blow made contact under Medaka II's chin and sent the bluenette flying towards the ceiling, crashing into it with enough force for the cement and ceiling lights around her to break and leave a human imprint against her back.

"A direct hit!" Naruto stated as he adjusted his position next to Zenkichi, meanwhile, the burning figure from the earlier explosion vanished in a cloud of smoke followed by the remaining **Shadow Clones**. The two blondes raised their arms and shared a fist bump as they look up at the motionless Medaka on the ceiling. "It's a good thing I put a lot of chakra into that Shadow Clone."

"Impressive indeed. I didn't even see when you substituted yourselves with clones, let alone think it was possible with living objects." Maguro's voice echoed through the large room.

Naruto's grin grew as he kept his gaze focused on Medaka II, "Heh. No one ever said that it couldn't be done. I've seen plenty of people do it with living creatures before, like a Rogue Ninja using a rabbit to make my team think that there wasn't any enemies around."

"Didn't you also say that Kakashi did something like that during that Bell Test with one of your clones?" Zenkichi pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"… Shut up!"

Oudo only let out a grunt as he crossed his arms over his chest, while Yukuhashi had a shocked look at Naruto escaping the explosion with the use of cloning himself. "The ability to use chakra certainly catches my attention. Such an extraordinary power is better suited to a king."

"… This is almost similar to how you won that match during your Chūnin Exams." Medaka II's voice called out from her spot in the ceiling, the bangs of her eyes covering the upper half of her face and yet her tears could still be seen falling down her face. "It appears your teamwork had become very effective over the years."

"Of course it has!" Naruto stated while watching the ceiling rubble fall of the fifteen year old bluenette as she detached herself and landed on the floor with a crouch. A decent sized bruise created by his Chakra-based attack was visible around her chin, with a few more tears and bruises seen from her brief, yet impressive clash with the two blondes. "When it comes to fighting opponents that are on your level or higher, we knew that we would need to figure out ways to come out on top."

"You are someone worth working hard to stand beside, pushing ourselves to be better than what we were before." Zenkichi added with a determined look on his face, "So seeing this person that those bastards from Class 13 believe to be the real you is sickening."

"That means that we'll do what the real you would do, and hold nothing back until we get through to you!" Naruto's Chakra, which had changed from its original blue to a yellow color, was swirling around him as he punched his open palm.

Rubbing her sore chin as she could feel the accelerated healing ability she gained from Koga start to patch up the injury while she processed their words, Medaka II couldn't help but think back to how the two boys changed her life so long ago. "Do you both recall what you both told me thirteen years ago? Back when we first met?"

Zenkichi tilted his head in confusion at the strange question, "Don't really remember much from back then. Probably something about how you were born to make everybody happy."

"Me either… I think it was about how you push people to become better and encourage themselves to improve." Naruto added with a similar expression, though the shocked look on Medaka II's face told the two that they were right on the money. "But even if we don't have perfect memories of that time, it doesn't matter…

"Because it's something that the two of us believe with all of our hearts," Zenkichi finished. "And that won't change, no matter what happens between the three of us!"

To the surprise of everyone in the room, Medaka II took a step back with a tearful shout, bringing her hands to her head as she thrashed about. In the shadows, Maguro's eyes widened slightly as he noticed sparks covering her hands before a bright light erupted from his youngest sister with larger sparks forming around her head. Naruto and Zenkichi stared at Medaka II as she let out a scream as more sparks appeared, the two shocked at what they were seeing and equally confused since the girl's face and voice projected the pain she was feeling.

"What is she doing?!" Koga asked Naze as they, Akune, Kikaijima, Yukuhashi and Oudo watched the screaming girl continue to hold her head while sparks covered her entire upper body.

Naze didn't know how to answer her best friend's question as her gaze focused on her sister. "Did something go wrong?"

"No," Behind his mask, Yukuhashi's eyes widen from recognizing what was happening. "Those are EMP waves. That monster of a girl is trying to brainwash herself with Oudo's Abnormality!"

"She was able to use my **Weighted Words** without any issue, so for her to be able to use my brainwashing ability as well is theoretically possible." Oudo deduced with narrow eyes.

"But the brainwashing procedure is always a delicate process," Naze stated as Medaka II continued to scream. "At the rate she is going, Medaka's brain won't be able to survive and will destroy any chances of it remaining intact."

""Stop it, Medaka-chan!""

Medaka II's eyes snapped open in surprise as she felt two different hands grab on to her hands and pull them away from her head, ceasing the brainwashing attempt and halting the pain going through her. In front of the girl, Zenkichi and Naruto were seen standing with the former holding onto her left hand while her right was in the latter's grip. The emotions she saw in their eyes reflecting only warmth, concern and love as they gently lowered her hands even further away from her head.

Zenkichi was the first one to speak, "We're sorry for saying that we can't stand the person you are now. Especially if it means that you're gonna hurt yourself to such an extent just to revert back."

"The important thing the bonds that we have between us isn't as insignificant as you tried to dismiss," Naruto continued as he reached up with his free hand and brushed away Medaka II's tears. "You're still the same person you've always been, so there's no reason for you to change."

"Naruto… Zenkichi… But I'm-" Medaka II didn't get a chance to finish as both boy wrapped their arms around the trio to form a three-man hug with her in the center.

"Just because you want to make everyone else happy doesn't mean you should ignore yourself."

"You deserve to be happy as well, Medaka-chan."

Hearing the words coming from her childhood friends seemed to make something in Medaka II's mind click as she felt a new sensation build up inside of her. Taking a deep breath as she moved out of the hug, the presence surrounding the girl changed. A familiar smile formed on her face as she looked back at the two boys that she loved more than anyone else in the world. "Thank you both so much… For reminding me of who I am… A creature such as Medaka II is neither who I was nor will it ever be my future. I am Medaka Kurokami! The woman born to help strangers find happiness, and be happy alongside them!"

"Finally!" Kikaijima exclaimed happily with tears building up in her eyes.

A look of relief appeared on Akune's face as he helped Kikaijima stand on her feet, "She's back!"

Watching as Medaka took two armbands from Zenkichi and slid them onto her bicep, Naruto shook his head with a shrug. "Seriously, how much are you guys gonna make me worry about you?"

"As if you're one to talk." Zenkichi retorted with a deadpanned expression while crossing his arms over his chest, "Just how many times did we have to save your butt when you decided to do something completely reckless?"

"Shut it! Who's the guy that had stab injuries all over his back, huh?!"

"This coming from the idiot who can't create a new technique without it nearly cutting his arm off!"

"It's a work in progress, ya know! And it's still a helluva lot cooler than a stomp!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Almost everyone watched the two with sweatdrops or looks of disbelief as Naruto and Zenkichi started arguing with their faces angrily pressing against one another. It was almost laughable at how these two managed to be the perfect team in the battle against a brainwashed Medaka, before getting into a cartoonish quarrel while in the middle of enemy territory. Speaking of Medaka, the girl closed her eyes with a smile before pushing the two boys apart.

"That's enough out of both of you. As much as I enjoy seeing the two of you get along so well, there are more important things that need to be taken care of." Opening her eyes, Medaka focused her attention on the final four members of Class 13 and the Flask Plan, meeting Oudo's intense stare with no reaction. "Shall we take this to the next level down?"

"Yes, I do believe that that would be a perfect idea." Oudo replied as he brought a hand up to his face, brushing some of his bangs off his face. The red-eyed blonde turned around and began walking towards the nearest door. "After all, it is the most appropriate battlefield for one such as I to make you submit to me, Medaka Kurokami."

"Very well, lead the way." With those words of the Student Council President spoken, the blonde Abnormal passed through the exit leading to the next floor with the other Abnormals following after him. Naze could be seen throwing a dagger at an area while saying something, to which Maguro appeared from the shadows and rejoined the group. Medaka turned her head to look at Naruto, "Will you be coming with us?"

"As much as I want to, the transport ship is probably waiting for me… I should get back. Captain Yamato and the others are probably angry enough at me for using Kyuubi's Chakra to run off." Naruto replied with a little bit of sweat falling down the side of his face, letting out an awkward chuckle as he placed his hands behind his head. "I'm probably going to be in big trouble when I get back."

_"_You have no idea**_._**_"_ Naruto's entire body tensed up at that, shakily turning around with fear present on his face… letting out a 'manly' shriek at the sight of a ghoul-faced Yamato standing behind him with a black aura coming off him. "I see that you are scared… Good… Because I'm gonna make sure you learn not to disobey me again, you brat. There will be consequences for your actions."

"C-C-Captain Yamato! W-Why are you here?!" Naruto questioned as he took a fearful step back, before feeling a finger tap against his shoulder and looked back to see a smiling Sakura, though it was still unsettling in its own way. "Huh, you're here too, Sakura?"

"Of course I am! Don't you remember what happened the last time you used too much of the Kyuubi's Chakra?" Sakura said as memories of the horrible condition Naruto had been in after his Four-Tail mode had dispersed, "Acting reckless with that much power hurts not only you, but it can cause harm to innocent people as well. We saw the giant hole you created to get down here!"

"But I'm completely fine! See?" Opening up his Chūnin vest and jacket, Naruto showed the two other Shinobi that he had no peeled skin or any other damages that were there after previous usages of the Kyuubi's Chakra. In fact, the blonde Shinobi's body looked as though it was in better condition than before if that was even possible. "I don't know how… I think… I was able to use Kyuubi's Chakra without it backfiring on me."

"You harnessed its power without being consumed by it?" Yamato questioned with narrow eyes and a small hint of disbelief in his voice.

Zenkichi took a step closer to Naruto, "That weird yellow form you arrived in, are you talking about that?"

"He also used it to heal and revitalize you, Zenkichi." Medaka pointed out as she pointed to the areas that the strawberry blonde had sustained injuries from his battle with the Abnormal known as Munakata. "Anyone could tell from just looking at it that the energy coming off of him was not normal. It even changed the color of his Chakra from blue to yellow."

"It did?" Naruto blinked before raising his hand up and channeled Chakra into it to see that it indeed was a different color. "Huh. I didn't even notice."

"That is something else to look into when we return to the village." The Jōnin stated while staring at the yellow flame-like energy coming off Naruto's open palm. "If everything is taken care of here, the three of us need to get back to the ship before it takes off."

Turning his head to look at his childhood friends, Naruto had an uneasy look on his face. "Will you guys be alright now? I don't want to leave and you both start fighting again."

"You don't need to worry about us, Naruto." Zenkichi replied with a small smirk, "This time is for real."

Medaka nodded her head with a look of pride on her face, "Zenkichi is right. I won't be falling for the same tricks as before, in fact, I know that this conflict involving the Flask Plan will come to an end very soon."

"… Alright then, I trust you guys… But before I go," Raising his glowing hand and placing it on top of Medaka's head, Sakura and Yamato were shocked to see a familiar red shroud cover the bluenette's body. Just like with Zenkichi, it only surrounded Medaka's body for a few second and completely healed the girl before disappearing. Seeing the raised eyebrow being sent in his direction, Naruto only grinned as he reached into his back pouch and pulled out something, holding it out to the Abnormal. "Better for you to be going into the final battle in top shape, right? You must've received a bunch of damage even before Zenkichi and I kicked your butt."

"As I recall, our battle didn't exactly have a climax." Medaka pointed out as she took the object out of Naruto's hand, revealing it to be a new fan with pink flowers and a black background. "Unless you both wish to continue the battle and find out who would win?"

… It didn't even take the two boys two seconds for them to reply to Medaka's offer.

"No thanks."

"I'm good."

Medaka only smiled at her childhood friends' replies, not bothered by them in the least. "In any case, this is where we go our separate ways. You need to get back to Konoha and track down Itachi Uchiha, and try to deal with the Akatsuki as well."

"Yeah, and you need to put an end to this Flask Plan!" A large grin formed on Naruto's face as he and Medaka raised their right arms and interlocked them between them, "Don't do anything stupid before we see each other again!"

"Hmph, as if you're one to talk." Medaka replied as they lowered their arms, "I don't want to hear that you ended up in the hospital again because you were being reckless."

"I second that." Zenkichi added with a knowing look, nudging his male best friend in the ribs. "You better not tear up that arm of yours again before you find a way to work around that Rasenshuriken's backlash. Don't want you to become left-handed."

Crossing his arms with a pout, Naruto spun around. "Ha-ha! If this is how you thank the guy who rushed all the way here to help, then maybe I shouldn't even bother next time!"

A few seconds of silence passed before the blonde turned back to face Medaka and Zenkichi, and everyone immediately took notice to the similar smiles that formed on the trio's faces. Sharing a nod of their heads, Medaka and Zenkichi began walking the door that Oudo and the other Abnormals had walked through while Naruto headed in the opposite direction where the hole he had created leading to the first floor of the Clock Tower, retrieving his Chakra Blade along the way, with Sakura and Yamato following after him. Even though they were parting ways, the bonds between them remained strong as they ever were.

**NUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZH**

"W-Whoa… What the hell happened to this place?!" Akune exclaimed as he and the others were looking at the massive crater that was supposed to be Konohagakure and instead were ruins that had hundreds of destroyed buildings while small living quarters where spread throughout the area. The outer ring of the crater had housings and other buildings that looked like they had been smooshed together by a powerful force.

"This place looks completely different from how you guys described it earlier!" Kikaijima added as the strap of her bag slipped off her shoulder slightly, startled at the destruction below them. It was certainly not what they expected after hearing Medaka and Zenkichi, and the latter's mother, Hitomi, go on about how beautiful the large village was.

Zenkichi had a worried look on his face as he stared down at the once majestic village that he had visited enough times to consider a second home, "Just what could've caused something like this?"

"Hmm… Could it have been that Akatsuki group that Naruto had told us about?" Medaka brought her hand up to her chin as she recalled Naruto telling them about the criminal group of Rogue Ninja that were going after Jinchūriki, a look of concerned growing as she began to wonder if her childhood friend had been captured.

Standing on the other side of Akune, Nekomi Nabeshima was frowning as she stared down at the wreckage as well. "I know that people from the Elemental Nations were known to be powerful and destructive, but this blows away anything I was expecting."

"We should get down there and check things out." Zenkichi commented as he made his way towards the lower path leading to the remains of the village gates, catching sight of the reconstruction being done to the village through the checkpoints. The Normal couldn't help but feel the concern building up inside of him as he wondered about the condition of his other childhood friend if the Akatsuki was really responsible for the destruction.

"Agreed. It shouldn't be too hard to find someone that can explain what had happened." Following after her General Affairs Manager, Medaka and the rest of the group made their way to the main gate checkpoint where small crowds of people moving to and from the gates. There was also some carpenters traveling with lumber and other equipments that was most likely being used for the rebuilding of the village. "Seems like they are getting plenty of aid with the construction."

"They're gonna need it to work on a place as large as this. It's the size of one of our cities back in the Six Continents," Kikaijima said as she look notice to all of the different suppliers and construction workers going into the village, her mind silently processing the possible prices being put into it. "Just goes to show how much money one of these Hidden Villages must make with these Shinobi."

"It's actually not as much as you think, young lady." A voice spoke up behind them, making the five teenagers turn their heads to see an older gray-haired man with a matching beard, wearing glasses, a sleeveless V-neck shirt with an obi, pants and a pair of sandals. Standing next to him, a young teenager with black hair wearing a matching outfit to the older man's was staring back at the group. "A lot of the construction and equipment being used has a bit of a price deduction while I've heard that Daimyōs from other villages like Yukigakure are sending over technology and any machineries that will help Konoha get back on their feet."

"Really? That's extremely generous." Nekomi blinked in surprise at the information.

The teenager next to the man grinned as he placed his hands behind his head, "Well, it's the least we can do after everything that Nii-chan did for us!"

"Nii-chan?" Akune repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"My grandson in talking about the Shinobi that saved the Wave Country from a tyrant that was bankrupting our people and gave us back our courage." The older man said as he crossed his arms with a reminiscent look on his face. "I'll admit, when I first got a look at the kid I completely underestimated him. But Naruto proved me wrong and saved us all."

"Did you say Naruto and Wave Country?" Zenkichi blinked as he recognized the story, looking back and forth between the two. "Excuse me, does that mean you're the bridge builder, Tazuna, and his grandson. Inari?"

"Oh, you know of us?" Tazuna replied with a surprised look, "I was under the impression that you lot were from the Six Continents, given your outfits and all."

Medaka took a step forward with her closed fan in hand, "You are correct about that, but Zenkichi and I are childhood friends of Naruto. He told us about his time in Wave Country."

"You guys are friends of Nii-chan?" Inari questioned with an excited look, "Then you guys must be here to see him after hearing about the battle he had won against those Akatsuki guys!"

"So he was fighting the Akatsuki… At least he came out victorious." Medaka commented with a pleased look on her face. She had already had enough of a scare after Zenkichi had been bitten by all of those snakes from his battle with Misogi Kumagawa and nearly died, the last thing she needed to hear was that the other person she cherished most in life was on death's door as well.

Zenkichi let out a sigh of relief with a smile on his face, "Just like that idiot to make us worry about him without even seeing him."

"This Akatsuki guy must've been really powerful to damage the village so much." Akune spoke up with a hand on his hip.

"You don't know the half of it. According to the stories being passed around, this was the leader of the group and his partner," Tazuna explained with a grim look. "The crazy part of that news however was that many had died during the attack on the village, but somehow Naruto managed to talk the guy down and he brought back everybody he killed."

"It was probably just someone adding craziness to the story to make Naruto's story sound even better." One of the men working for Tazuna commented with a shake of his head, "I don't doubt that he managed to convince the enemy to side with him, but the idea of cheating death like that sounds unbelievable, right?"

An uneasy silence passed over the five students from the Six Continents as they exchanged a look at the man's comment, the memory of Kumagawa using his **All Fiction** to undo his death still fresh in their minds.

"Hey! Nii-chan is still a hero! If they say that incredible stuff happened, then there has to be some truth to it!" Inari called out with a fist pumped in the air, "Anyway, we need to hurry and make sure all of the new equipment transported from home properly."

"Good point, Inari." Tazuna replied with a nod of his head before turning to face his construction crew. "Alright guys, let's get a move on! We've still got a lot of ground to cover for this job! Just because we made a lot of progress so far doesn't mean jack shit if we slouch off!"

"Yes sir!"

"Roger that!"

Watching as his grandfather and the other workers once again make their way towards the village, Inari flashed a smile at the older teenagers. "Sorry about cutting this short. Hopefully we'll see you in the village!"

"Don't worry, we understand." Zenkichi replied with a nod.

Akune brushed his hand through his hair, "Good luck to you. We saw the damage earlier from the nearby cliffs."

"Be safe too." Kikaijima added while flashing the boy a small smile. Inari's face turned a little red at this before rushing off to join the others from Wave Country. "Huh?"

"I think someone got a small crush… And I thought it was only little girls that got them so quickly." Nekomi mischievously smirked as she whispered this to Medaka, who raised an eyebrow at the greenette's words.

Opening her fan as she watched the men from Wave Country reach Konoha's checkpoint, Medaka had a confused look on her face. "Kikaijima-san is an attractive girl, so wouldn't it be expected for boys to be interested in her? Besides, Inari-san looked to be about twelve years old, not that much younger than us."

"Three years for you guys, four for me."

"Eh?!" The glasses-wearing brunette blinked a few times as she processed what the two were saying. "W-What are you two talking about? I-I have no interest in guys from the Elemental Nations!"

Nekomi tilted her head at that, "Oh? And what's wrong if they're from here? So far, all the people I've seen haven't been ugly or hard to look at."

"Indeed. Plenty of people I've met from all the times I've visited have been very nice, and some of them having various appeals to their looks." Medaka commented as she looked up at the sky as if she was in thought, "Naruto's whisker marks have always been an eye catcher for some of the girls back in Japan. I've certainly enjoyed petting them myself whenever I feel down."

"I will admit that he does remind me of a fox whenever I saw him," Kikaijima admitted as she closed her eyes in thought. "I've always wanted one for a pet but they've got a mischievous side to them tha-Wait! What am I saying?!"

"She actually admitted to a cute animal that she likes!?" Zenkichi exclaimed in shock.

He wasn't the only one as Akune had a dumbfolded look on his face, "It's kind of creepy to see her act like a normal girl. Especially after all of the crap she keeps putting us through."

"Shut it! I'll tell Tanegashima and Yakushima about all the mean things you're saying about me when we get back to the academy!" An embarrassed Kikaijima cried out before turning her body away from the two boys so they couldn't see the redness of her face.

**(A Little While Later)**

"Welcome to Konoha… Wait, you five are from the Six Continents?" One of the two Village Gate Guards, Izumo Kamizuki, stared down at the passports that he had been given.

Sitting next to him with a curious look, Kotetsu Hagane glanced down at the Japanese Passports before looking up at the student. "Hardly ever see people from the Six Continents visit us during this time of the year. What brings you lot all the way from Japan?"

"We're visiting a childhood friend of ours that lives here." Zenkichi explained as he glanced passed the gate and got a good look at the reconstruction being done to the destroyed village. "I can't believe Konoha got hit this badly."

"It's to be expected when dealing with a dangerous group of S-Class criminals." Kotetsu replied while leaning back in his chair with a comedic sigh, "Everybody in the village has been bustin' their butts ever since the battle ended, and there are still a lot of Shinobi that are being looked at in the medical tents. More and more responsibility is being piled up on us to make up for the ones who can't work."

Flashing his partner an annoyed look, Izumo turned back to Medaka and the others. "Just ignore his comments, he was dropped on his head as a kid… several times."

"Oi!"

"Are there really a lot of issues with the rebuilding of Konoha?" The bluenette of the group asked.

Izumo only smiled at the girl while waving his hand in a dismissive manner, "Nothing that isn't to be expected. We're a little short of man-power, but thanks to the connections we have with others villages we should be fine."

"I see… Allow us to assist you in the reconstruction!" Medaka practically shouted with a large grin on her face while she placed her hands on her hips. People that were at the other entry checkpoint desks turned their heads in the direction of the suddenly loud voice.

"EH?!" Akune and Kikaijima shouted at the same time as they started at their president in shock. Nekomi only shook her head silently with an amused smile at her Kōhai's offer, shrugging her shoulders as she had expected the President Princess to say something like that.

Zenkichi was in a similar boat to Nekomi, though he was in agreement with Medaka on helping the village in some way. The strawberry blonde had become attached to the place after all of the times that he, Medaka and his mother had come to visit.

The spiky haired Chūnin chuckled as he leaned forward and rested an arm on the table between him and the teens. "Don't worry about us. Like Izumo said, we will be able to handle things just fine. You lot just focus on seeing your friend. Which reminds me, who is this childhood friend of yours?"

"We're here to see Naruto Uzumaki." Medaka answered causing the two older men to perk up at the girl's words.

"So the Hero of Konoha knows people from the Six Continents, huh? Kind of jealous," Kotetsu said while crossing his arms. "I've always wanted to see them myself, get a feel of the rest of the world."

Zenkichi blinked at the first part of the man's words, "Did you just call Naruto the Hero of Konoha?"

"It's what everybody in the village is calling him after he defeated Pein and his Six Paths." Hanging back their passports as he explained what had happened, Izumo had a small smirk on his face. "He's the talk of the village right now with all of his achievements and victories."

"Jiraiya-sama would be proud of how strong Naruto has become. At least he was able to avenge his master."

"Can't even imagine what was going through his mind after finding out that Pein killed Jiraiya-sama."

"Did you just say that Jiraiya-san… was killed?" Zenkichi's eyes widened in shock with his irises shrinking, something that Medaka mirrored as this was the first that they heard of the Sannin's fate.

"You didn't know? Yeah, it happened almost two months ago… A lot of people took it really hard, both Naruto and Tsunade-sama most of all." A frown formed on Izumo's face as he recalled the day that news of Jiraiya's death had reached the village, just like during the Sandaime's funeral, it rained heavily the entire day. "But even though he's dqdgone, he left his legacy in Naruto."

"And hopefully his Icha Icha books as well." Kotetsu muttered to himself in a very low voice so no one could hear him. Unfortunately, he didn't count on one thing.

A certain Abnormal having exceptionally hearing.

Crossing her arms under her large bust, a thoughtful look formed on Medaka's face. "I suppose it would be up to Naruto if he wants to get into writing. He did help with a few of the Icha Icha books when Jiraiya-san was working on them."

_'Not really done willingly, especially when he wouldn't let us get any rest.'_ Zenkichi thought to himself with a small bittersweet smile at the memory of the white haired man waking both him and Naruto up in the middle of the night to read his drafts and give their reviews. The strawberry blonde remembered how pissed he would be every time and curse Jiraiya out before joining Naruto in his reads… Hard to believe he'd never see the perverted sage again…

"Really?!" Kotetsu exclaimed as he shot to his feet with an excited grin.

Letting out a sigh at his best friend's actions, Izumo's exposed left eye shifted towards Medaka and the others, "Please continue on into the village. There are some restrictions due to the rebuilding being done, but you should have access to most of the area within the village. Enjoy your time here."

"Thank you very much." The bluenette of the group replied as she and the others grab their travel bags, before they walked through the large gates passed the seated duo.

"…"

"…"

"As if I needed even more reason to be jealous of Naruto." Kotetsu said as he leaned a bit over the table to watch the five teenagers as they disappeared passed the pathways created by the construction workers to reach the higher parts of the buildings. Focusing his attention on the two in the middle, Kotetsu stared at Medaka's back. "Becoming a powerful Shinobi that can face against enemies on league with Kages, known as a hero of many different villages and countries, and now I find out he's got a childhood friend that attractive… What's he got going for him that I don't?"

"Dedication towards his work? No issues with responsibility? Honest and cares about helping the people around him without thinking about a reward? Won't slack off to hang out with Jōnin just to try some special syrup?" Izumo paused in his listing as if to think of another reason, not caring about the dirty look his best friend was sending him. "Oh! Spiky hair that actually looks good on him?"

"… Fuck you, Izumo."

"… Also doesn't give off a weird vibe that he might be a jealous, whining douchebag."

"Izumo, if you don't stop, I'm gonna my mace down your throat?!"

The area was silent briefly as Izumo stared up at his glaring friend, who had an anime pissed-off expression with gritting teeth and a fist held up in front of his face. "Dude… As your friend, I'm going to be completely honest with you… What you just said sounded really gay… Maybe that's why you're still single."

"RAAAAAAGH! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Ano… Should we be worried about those guys?" Kikaijima asked as she glanced back after hearing the angry shout coming from behind them, a bead of sweat falling down her cheek as she could hear the two arguing even from their distance.

"Nah, I'm sure they'll be fine." Nekomi shook her head with an amused grin, "When it comes to boys, banter and arguments between friends' just shows how close they truly are."

The brunette tilted her head with a confused frown at that, "That sounds really dumb."

"And yet! There is some truth to Nabeshima-sempai's words." Medaka nodded her head with a knowing expression, "I've lost track of how many times Naruto and Zenkichi have argued about something in the past, and yet they always seem to be even closer after finding a resolution. Truthfully I am jealous of them."

"There is no need for you to feel jealous of those two," Akune stated with a dismissive scoff while pointing at a thumb at a now scowling Zenkichi. "The only reason they get along so well is because they ar-GAH!?"

Medaka's Student Council Secretary didn't get to finish his statement as an ordinary looking black and white ostrich that was wears three red bow ties on his neck landed on top of him, surprising the four at the sudden and bizarre entrance. While the flightless bird seemed to look around with a frown on its face, three baby ostriches were seen on the adult bird's back and making some noise. Hopping off of the groaning Akune, the ostrich broke out into a run while leaving the group behind.

"Condor! Get back here you stupid bird!" A familiar voice could be heard echoing throughout the area, causing the four standing student to turn their heads in time to see Naruto appearing between them… his feet coming in contact with Akune's head as he landed. "I've already captured the rest of your Four Ninja Animal Warriors! You know how this'll end!"

"Never!" The ostrich named Condor shouted back as he continued running with three baby chirping ostriches on his back, "I will never give up on getting my freedom!"

_'… Di… Did that ostrich just talk?!'_ Zenkichi, Kikaijima and Nekomi thought to themselves in disbelief while Akune let out a grunt as Naruto unknowingly adjusted himself on top of the blonde Special, and Medaka dismissed it as being a normal thing when it came to the Elemental Nations.

"Haaaaaa~ I hate that fucking bird almost as much as I hate going after that stupid cat!" Naruto growled as he glared at the retreating Condor. Noticing that he wasn't alone in the area, the Shinobi blinked in surprise at the familiar faces surrounding him. "Medaka-chan? Zenkichi? Kikaijima? And… Who are you?"

Not hiding her amusement at the condition of the former member of her Judo Club, a large smile was present on Nekomi's face as she introduced herself to Naruto. "Hello there, we didn't get to meet the last time you had visited Hakoniwa Academy. I'm Nekomi Nabeshima, Captain of the school's Judo Club."

"Wait… You're Nekomi the Foul King?" Naruto blinked with a mildly surprised look.

"Oh? You've heard of me? I'm honored that the Hero of Konoha knows about me."

The blonde Shinobi let out a sigh at that, "I'm guessing from that, you guys know about the battle, huh?"

"We heard about it as we were entering the village. I can't believe you defeated the leader of the Akatsuki by yourself." Zenkichi said with a grin on his face as he walked up to Naruto, intentionally stepping hard onto Akune's back as he made it to his male best friend's side and slung an arm around his shoulder. "You're really becoming a well-known figure in the Elemental Nations, aren't you?"

Medaka giggled before nodding her head in agreement, crossing her arms under her torso and lifting her chest a bit… Something that caught the attentions of men and women walking passed the group. "I'm very happy to see how far you've come, Naruto. I suppose I should get your autograph now before everyone else gets the chance."

"Come on, you guys! Don't make this even more awkward for me. I'm still having trouble with all the attention the village is giving me now!" Naruto whined as he pushed Zenkichi back with an embarrassed look on his face from his childhood friends' words. "But seriously, if you guys didn't know about the attack on the village beforehand, why are you guys here?"

"Well, we're-"

"Naruto!" The bluenette was interrupted as Sai landed a few feet away from them, before making his way to them. "Have you located the target?"

"Yeah, I just caught sight of him before he took off in that direction." Pointing in the direction that the ostrich had ran off, the whiskered blonde turned back to look at his pale teammate. "What the situation on the other Ninja Animal Warriors? Did you finish taking them back?"

Sai nodded his head while placing a hand on his hip, "Indeed. It was a lot easier with all of them incapacitated and bond with my **Beast Mimicry: Snakes**. Hmm? Medaka-san, Zenkichi-san, what are you five doing here?"

"Hey there, Sai. We just came to the village to visit during an available time period after some things happened. Don't mind us too much." Zenkichi replied with a wave of his hand, a little wary of the Root Agent after hearing about his tendency to give people horrible nicknames.

"I see… Naruto… Why are you standing on top of Kouki Akune-san?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked a few times at Sai's words before looking down to see that the older blonde was glaring up at him. "Oh, so that's where you were. I thought it was weird that I didn't see you."

"About damn time you finally noticed me! And why didn't you guys say anything?!" Akune exclaimed while angrily pointing at Kikaijima, Nekomi and Zenkichi, the latter smiling cockily as he shrugged his shoulders.

Opening one of his eyes to look at the angry Akune with amusement, the Normal spoke up while failing to suppress his laughter as Naruto stepped off of the Student Council Secretary, allowing Akune to get up to his feet. "Not my fault you couldn't handle the situation by yourself. I mean, you're always going on and on about how I don't compare to you or Medaka-chan. So how was I supposed to help you?"

"Hitoyoshi, you bastard!" Akune shouted as he grabbed Zenkichi's collar, to which the strawberry blonde mirrored while now glaring back at the Special.

"… So, it this another one of those boys being boys moments?" Kikaijima questioned while turning towards Medaka and Nekomi as they watched the two male members of the Student Council began tossing insults at one another. "Because those two are the exact opposite of close friends. More like complicated frenemies with it being more enemy than friend."

Ignoring the confused look on Naruto's face, Medaka shook her head with a smile. "Maybe so, but I am more than confident in their ability to work together when the situation really calls for it."

"They do seemed to have that weird compatibility when it comes to the battlefield."

"How long do you guys plan on staying in Konoha?" Feeling that it was better not to ask, Naruto decided to change the subject to something a little more important. "You semester should be coming to an end, right?"

"Only for a weeks or two. Part of the reason we came here is to get some training in while Zenkichi recovers from his near-death experience during his battle with Kumagawa." Medaka explained, only to be greeted with an alarmed look on Naruto's face and quickly remembered that the blonde didn't know about the Student Council Battles. "It's a long story."

"Which we unfortunately don't have time for at the moment." Sai spoke up as he decided to interrupt the conversation, "Our mission to capture Condor is still going on, and we need to finish it as soon as possible."

Knowing the near-emotionless teen was right, Naruto nodded his head before looking back at his friends from the Six Continents, including Akune and Zenkichi as their argument came to a halt. "As much as I hate to say it, Sai is right. With Sakura working hard to help the ones still in the Medical Tents, Kakashi-sensei recovering from his battle with Pein, and Yamato being one of the key factors in the rebuilding of the village, it's only the two of us working on missions at the moment."

"It's not a problem at all. We understand completely on how important things are in Konoha at the moment. Especially with all of the destruction that the Akatsuki had caused," Everyone else from the Six Continents nodded their head in agreement to the Abnormal's words, "We'll just head over to one of the housing areas for visitors-"

"No way! You guys are staying with me like always!" Naruto spoke up while crossing his arms, "The place I was given is a lot of space, more than enough for the six of us! And I'm not taking a no for an answer. " Forming his trademark cross hand-sign, a **Shadow Clone** appeared next to the Shinobi before he spoke up. "Just follow this guy to the apartment and make yourselves at home, or walk around the village. As for us, we have a self-trained ninja bird to track down!"

Zenkichi had a look of disbelief on his face at that, "So wait… That talking bird actually does have training in the ninja arts?"

"What a strange question? Even without the ability to use Chakra, it isn't impossible to train in the Shinobi arts." Medaka spoke up with a raised eyebrow, not seeing anything wrong with what would normally be an absurd concept for regular people, or even those from the Elemental Nations, to find normal animals that somehow manage to learn how to talk and possess ninja skills.

An uneasy look formed on Naruto's face as he rubbed the back of his head, "The messed up thing is that Condor can use Jutsu. It actually recruited three other animals and formed a Four-Man team that managed to fight off a team of two Chūnin and two Genin."

"Animals from the Elemental Nations are even weirder than the ones back home," Kikaijima commented with a sweatdrop as she continued to hear Naruto talk more about a kangaroo and its joey, an anteater and an army of ostriches that served Condor.

Shrugging her shoulders with a laugh, Nekomi's grin widened a little. "I don't know about that. It'd be interesting going toe to toe with a kangaroo. I've heard about powerful martial artist that was able to defeat a Siberian Tiger with only his bare fists and feet."

"T-That was just a rumor, right?" The brunette said in disbelief.

"Apparently not. Nekomi-sempai made sure to confirm it was true the moment she heard about it… She would keep mentioning how that is the result of hard work instead of relying on talent." Akune could feel a soreness coming from his back, making him think back to the day when Nekomi kept pushing the members of the Judo Club and kept pinning him with every technique in her arsenal… The blonde Special went to sleep that night on his stomach with a giant bag of ice covering his entire back.

"Naruto, we should get back to the mission. Sakura wanted us to meet her at the medical tent when her shift ends so we can meet up with the others, remember?" Sai interrupted his teammate, who turned to look back at the pale teen. "We wouldn't want to anger her again like last time."

"Don't remind me…" Feeling a shiver go up his spine as he remembered the pinkette getting angry at the two of them last weeks.

Naruto and Sai had finished up their respective missions, with the former going with Team Guy to Konoha's Tool Research Lab in order to procure more weapons that Konoha's Shinobi had lost during Pein's Assault, while the latter had gone with Team 10 and several Medical Ninjas to the Nara Clan's Research Facility located in the mountains to procure medicine being kept there. Both missions had gone smoothly for both teams, the eight had crossed paths with Team 8, who had also finished their mission, and headed to one of the remaining restaurants in the village that hadn't been destroyed. It had already gotten late by the time that the two had thought about their missing teammate… only seconds before realizing that she was standing right behind them.

"Uh, Boss?" Snapping out of his thoughts just as he imagined Sakura's fist closing in on him, Naruto turned towards his Shadow Clone. "I'm going to take Medaka-cham and the others back to the apartment now."

"Right. Be sure to check the fridge to see if we need any food. And do anything they ask you to do… within reason of course."

A deadpanned look formed on the Shadow Clone's face as he look back at his creator, "You don't need to state the obvious, ya know. I'm not an idiot." Turning to look at the group of five from the Six Continents, the Shadow Clone pumped one arm into the air with a large grin. "Okay, my peeps! I'll be showing you to the Boss' place to drop of your stuff and do whatever you guys freaking want! The same goes for asking me any questions before I disperse!"

"Alright. Good luck on the rest of your mission, Naruto."

"See ya later, man. Don't get your ass kicked by a talking bird."

"It was nice to finally meet you in person. Maybe we could have a spar while I'm in the village."

"Thank you again for your hospitality. It saves us a lot of money."

"My back is fucking killing me…."

Watching as the six disappeared down the path, Sai turned to look over at the blonde Jinchūriki, whose body was seen slouching forward while releasing a look of both exhaustion and annoyance on his face. "It's always interesting to see how some of your clones get personalities of their own. Maybe you should take Kiba's advice and start your own entertainment profession."

"Shut up, Sai… Just… No more talking."

**(Later That Day)**

"I see… Tsunade-sama fell into a coma after using up her chakra to try and heal the damages done by Pein." Medaka said with a frown as she and the others listened to Naruto's clone explain some of the issues that have arisen from the Akatsuki's attack, "So, what is the story about leadership? It's obvious that those up in the ranks believe that it is better for Konoha to have a new leader, at least as long as Tsunade-sama is in a coma."

Everyone had gotten settled in Naruto's new apartment, well, except for Nekomi, who only stated that she already had a place to stay while she was in the village. But no matter how many times she had been asked, or by whom in the small group of students, she would not reveal her plans. Once Medaka's Student Council and Nekomi were ready, they left with the Shadow Clone to get a good look at what had been done so far with the village's rebuilding and exchanging stories about what was happening with both Konohagakure and Hakoniwa Academy. Naruto had been especially shock to hear about Misogi Kumagawa's return and his challenging of Medaka's Student Council, followed by Zenkichi's blindness and death after their battle, before somehow coming back to life with his eyesight restored. The strawberry blonde had gotten quickly annoyed at his male best friend's constant checking of his eyes to see what was so different about them. As the group was walking down one of the open roads, they had gotten a lot of attention from almost everybody that crossed their path, especially the kids that came up to them in order to get Naruto's autograph.

"Don't remind me. Kakashi-sensei was telling me that they're waiting for the Fire Daimyō to arrive so the meeting can be held." The Shadow Clone replied with a heavy sigh. While he wasn't a big fan of politics since it went against his usual 'do what you think is right' approach to things, Naruto had quickly learned over the years that it would play a role in his dream of being Hokage and would need to learn about it to some degree. _'Ero-sennin was laughing at me the whole time he watched me struggle with reading all those political books he gave me.'_

"You don't sound happy about that." Akune pointed out while putting his hands in his pockets.

"Let's just say that there are some people that would probably take advantage of the fact that Granny Tsunade is out of commission." An image of Danzō flashed through Naruto's mind as he said that, none of the past conversations he had with Jiraiya and a few others involving the bandaged man being anything positive about him. While the Shinobi of Darkness was seen as someone who would commit any act he believed to be necessary to benefit Konohagakure, the Jinchūriki only needed to one encounter with the man to get a read on him… with every part of his body telling him to avoid the man as much as possible. This was especially true after hearing Nagato's tale on how Danzō was partially responsible for what happened to his fellow pupils. "I just hope that if someone does have to become the next Hokage, it'll be Kakashi-sensei or even Shikamaru's dad."

"I seriously doubt my old man will throw his name on to the list of choices." A bored voice spoke up from off to the side, making the groups' heads turn to see Shikamaru walking up to them with Choji next to him, the latter snacking on a large bag of barbecue chips at the moment. "Knowing him, he'll submit Kakashi-sensei as a candidate for the Hokage position."

"Shikamaru? Choji?" Naruto questioned with raised eyebrow. "I didn't expect to see you guys around here."

"We were just visiting Kurenai-san. She getting closer to full-term." Choji explained between snacks, "All of us want to make sure her and Asuma-sensei's baby is born healthy and safely."

The Nara tilted his head slightly as he looked briefly at Medaka and the others before turning back to Naruto, "What about you? I thought you were doing all the missions you could manage with."

"I'm just a clone, Boss is finishing up his last mission for the day right now. He wanted me to help these guys out with getting them a place to stay and stick with them until he comes back." The Shadow Clone explained before turning back to his childhood friends while gesturing to his fellow Chūnin. "Medaka-chan, Zenkichi, you guys remember Choji and Shikamaru, right?"

"Of course. I certainly hope we can have a few games of Shogi while I am here." The Abnormal said with a smile as she exchanged a competitive glance with Shikamaru, something that was usual to see on the normally lazy genius' face. It was to be expected, however, as Medaka was one of the two people, other than his father, that he couldn't defeat no matter which strategy he could come up with. "You've certainly changed your look since we last saw you, Choji-san. Long hair suits you."

"Haha, thanks. I could say the same about you. No wonder Naruto kept commenting on how mu-" The fa… _big-boned _teen didn't get to finish his sentence as Naruto rushed towards him with an embarrassed look, covering Choji's mouth by shoving the bag of chips down his throat. "GWOUH!?"

"Not another word, ya know! Just go back to stuffing your face!" The redness on the clone's cheeks grew as he noticed the stares he was getting from the others, except for Choji, who was trying to pull out the large bag out of his mouth. "What? What's with those looks?"

"Just what kind of stuff have you been saying about me, Naruto?"

"Is it something perverted? He wouldn't be the first."

"What?! It isn't anything like that!" Naruto retorted as the redness in his cheeks lightened up as he flashed Kikaijima an annoyed look.

Akune let out a growl as he held up a clenched fist in front of his face, "I won't allow you to speak about Medaka-san with such dirty thoughts!"

"Oi! Don't make me deck you in the face again!"

"… Somehow I had a feeling this would happen." Zenkichi muttered to himself as he looked away from the group with a sweatdrop, which only grew as he took notice to all of the attention they were getting now from the citizens of Konohagakure.

A familiar voice spoke up before the arguing could continue, "Naruto used to talk about how much he admired her hair and thought that it looked great long rather than short."

"Damn it, Shikamaru! You bastard!" Naruto shouted as he moved away from Choji just as the spiky-haired brunette managed to retrieve the chip bag and grabbed his bored-faced friend by his collar, shaking him with an anime pissed off look. "Why did you say something if I was trying to keep Choji quiet about it."

"Oh, shut up. It's not like any of your other comments you gave her were embarrassing." The shaking didn't seemed to bother Shikamaru as he looked away from Naruto with a bored look, "What a drag."

Naruto's clone gained a twitch mark at that, "That doesn't mean you can just blurt it out like that!"

"You certainly are taking his compliments well, Medaka." Nekomi said as she watched Naruto continue to shout at Shikamaru and Choji, leaning in a little closer to the smiling Medaka.

Medaka blinked as she turned towards the older girl with a confused look, her ahoge swaying back and forth "Why would my response his words be negative or deny them? None of his words were perverse, nor were they false in any way. As I've stated before, I am quite proud of my body and have nothing to be ashamed of. Although, I haven't really heard people paying compliments about my hair before…"

"It's definitely a unique target of praise." Kikaijima nodded in agreement while passing her hands behind her back, "I guess some people from the Elemental Nations have different tastes in what they find attractive, huh?"

"As if there are such things like normal fetishes back home." Shaking his head as he said this, Akune placed his hands in his pockets. There were a lot of messed up ideas on what was considered sexually attractive or bizarre actions that people deemed to be the most stimulating. _'Seriously, what's attractive about something as disgusting as tentacles or vomit?'_

"You know what! Boss can deal with this shit!" The clone exclaimed as he threw his arms into the air with an angry grunt before looking down at Choji and Shikamaru, pointing his index finger at the two of them. "It's about time for the rest of the Konoha Eleven to meet up, right? Take this guys with you and the original will show up eventually! Later, suckers!"

Before anyone could say anything, the Shadow Clone dispersed in a cloud of smoke.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Some of Naruto's clones really do act like completely different people after a while, don't they?" Medaka mused while crossing her arms under her large bosom.

Zenkichi, on the other hand, had an uneasy look on his face, "Should we be worried about him if he has to deal with this all the time?"

"Eh, you get used to it after a while." Choji shrugged with his usual smile as he opened another bag of chips.

"… That doesn't sound reassuring at all…"

"Well, no point in just standing around here. Let's head over to the meeting spot. It's not that far from here," Shikamaru motioned to the crossroad a little ways ahead. "Everyone else should be finished with their missions and assignments for the day."

"You sure it's okay to-"

"Don't worry about it. You guys are old friends of Naruto and visitors from outside the village," Choji laughed as he crumbled up the empty bag of chips. "It also be nice to catch up after so many years."

"True… and Naruto's clone did tell us to stick with you guys."

"Great! After all of us get together, we can head to one of the restaurants that's been rebuilt!" Everyone could see the excited look on the large teen's face, "Pein's attack had destroyed so many of our favorite places, including Yakiniku Q and Ramen Ichiraku."

"Even Ichiraku!?" Medaka called out in shock before a disappointed look quickly replaced it, "That's unfortunate. I was really looking forward to having a few bowls while we were here."

The Abnormal's comment surprised her fellow students, sans Zenkichi, who crossed his arms while nodding his head. "Yeah, and it would've been great to see Teuchi-san and Ayame-san too."

_'I wasn't aware that Medaka-san liked ramen that much.'_ Akune and Kikaijima thought to themselves, surprised that the amazing girl actually loved something as simple and fattening as ramen.

As the seven reached an open area that was filled with construction equipment and lumber of different sizes, they quickly took notice to the six others that were already situated at various spots. Some were seating on some of the lumbers while others stood idly by as they seemed to be waiting. The first ones to notice them were some familiar faces to Medaka and Zenkichi as they recognized him as the one that Naruto fought during the Chūnin Exams, Neji Hyūga, as well as Rock Lee, who was sitting on top of some of the equipment.

Another one to notice the group walking up to them was a platinum-haired girl wearing a purple outfit, who placed her hands on her hips. "Well, it's about time you guys showed up. I know you guys were visiting Kurenai-san, but that was over an hour ago."

"Hey, it's not like we're late. Choji and I ran into Naruto's clone on the way here," Shikamaru replied as he dismissed the mild glare that his other teammate, Ino Yamanaka, was sending his way. "And what're you doing here so early? I thought you were taking shifts with Sakura and Shizune-san."

"I managed to finish checking up on my patients sooner than I thought, so Sakura told me to leave early and she would catch up." Ino replied before taking notice to the five new faces, "Huh? Who are they? I don't recognize them…"

"They're old friends of Naruto's from the Six Continents." Choji explained as he finished his fourth bag of chips, "Remember Kiba, Naruto told us about them."

_'Friends of Naruto-kun?'_ A dark-blue haired girl with similar eyes to Neji thought to herself, listening to Choji and Shikamaru as they introduced everybody in both groups including her. Having seen Naruto various times throughout the village when they were younger, Hinata immediately recognized Medaka and Zenkichi as his childhood friends that would often visit the blonde. It actually made the girl happy to see that the whiskered blonde wasn't as alone as she had originally thought.

The one known as Kiba blinked a few times as his eyes flicked from recalling a memory, "Oh, right! They were the ones that he asked if I could get permission to have them hang out with my clan's canines… Akamaru?"

Whine~*

Almost immediately after seeing the new faces, the large dog froze up as soon as Medaka's entered his line of sight. Despite the large, warm smile on the girl's face as soon as she saw him and the stars in her eyes, Akamaru only saw a dark, monstrous aura surrounding her with a terrifying creature taking shape. It honestly scared Akamaru more than any other creature or bloodlust-filled enemy he had come across… And then he saw Medaka take a step closer to him.

"Aw~! So you're one of the Ninja Dogs I've heard so much about! You're so cute!" Medaka started to gush as she tried to get closer to the large dog, who took a fearful step back each time the girl moved closer. "Don't run away! I just want to give you a hug, or maybe we can play fetch! We can have so much fun together!"

"Akamaru?" Kiba was surprised as his oldest companion continued to whimper loudly while moving behind him in an attempt to hide from the attractive, buxom girl. It was odd to see the dog act so scared of a simple girl, yet it instantly reminded him of how the dog acted when they had secretly crossed paths with the Sand Siblings during the Chūnin Exams and how dangerous Gaara was after sensing his chakra. "Come on, why are you hiding like a little puppy?"

A bead of sweat fell down the side of Zenkichi's face as he instantly saw his childhood friend's body seemed to lose all color and switched to a grayscale. Deciding it was best to try and cheer the bluenette up, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "At least it isn't running away out of the area… So that means there's some hope… probably…"

Anime waterfall tears fell down the girls face as she turned to face Zenkichi, a gloomy aura emitting off of her shoulders. "I'm the worst kind of human in the world! Animals don't want anything to do with me!"

"… So these are Naruto's friends… I can easily see it." Tenten whispered to Neji as she watched the strawberry blonde try and comfort the girl, who was oddly depressed about Akamaru being afraid of her. "Come to think of it… I think I remember seeing her and that guy cheer for Naruto during his match with you, Neji."

"It's possible. Travel between the Six Continents and the Elemental Nations has been around since we were children."

"Yeah, but I've rarely seen anyone from the Six Continents before. I haven't even been there… You went with Team 7 when they went with Naruto a few months back, right, Lee? Lee?"

Behind his teammates, Lee landed on the ground with a surprised, yet happy, expression as he moved closer to the Hakoniwa Academy students. "Nekomi-san!"

"Lee-kun!" Nekomi exclaimed cheerfully as she rushed over to the taijutsu user and hugged his side, causing several mouths of the Konoha Eleven to either comically fall to the floor, eyes turning large from how wide they were becoming, or their mouths to hang open as they stared at the two in shock. "I'm glad to see you're alright! I heard that a lot of Shinobi were injured in the battle with that Akatsuki group."

A dejected look grew on Lee's face as he raised a clenched fist in the air, "To my great shame, my team and I were just returning from a mission when Pein attacked the village! We only arrived just as Naruto-kun had defeated him!"

"Don't let it get you down! Everything turned out okay, right?" Nekomi stated with the smile still on her face, "Next time, I'm sure you'll kick their asses! I have faith in you!"

"Yosh! Your words have ignited my youthful flames, Nekomi-san! I shall keep on training hard so I can be useful when it is my time to shine!" Lee shouted with flames forming over his eyes, "If I cannot do so, then I will up my training even more! I'll do over a hundred laps around the village while doing a handstand and weights strapped to my legs!"

"Um, hey, Lee…" The two turned their heads to see Tenten, Neji and the other members of the Konoha Eleven, except for Team 7, most of them watching the two with looks of skepticism and curiosity. "How exactly do you know this girl?"

Lee blinked a few times before a look of realization appeared on his face, "Oh, that's right! This is Nekomi Nabeshima! She is from one of the other six Continents, known as Asia! We met back when I was accompanying Naruto-kun and his team during his vacation to see Medaka-san and Zenkichi-san at their academy. Like me, she is a firm believer in hard workers over geniuses with natural talent!"

"So, you guys are sparing partners or something?" Kiba asked as he leaned forward on his spot on Akamaru's back with a raised eyebrow.

Kiba and the others were surprised as a heavy blush formed on Lee's cheeks before the green attired Shinobi looked shyly at the floor while scratching his cheek with a finger, "Actually… Nekomi-san is my-"

"I'm his girlfriend!" Nekomi finished happily from her spot next to Lee, keeping her arms wrapped around his left arm.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"HIS GIRLFRIEND!?" Many of the Shinobi and Hakoniwa Academy Students shouted with shocked expressions, except for Medaka, who finally snapped out of her depression and simply brought her fan to her face.

"Interesting," Medaka mused as she stared at the older green-haired Judo fighter. "Congratulations are in order, you've often stated your attraction to men like Zenkichi, who believe in working hard over natural talent. Though I am curious when you two began dating, Rock Lee was only on campus when Naruto-kun visited during his recovery period."

"We actually met during that time after you fought against Unzen and was being look after in the hospital. I saw him training one morning, he was taking laps around the academy on his hands while boulders were strapped to his legs. I was amazed at the sight and went down to meet him." Nekomi explained as she finally let go of Lee's arm, "We end up talking for a bit and I asked for a match. It was the first time I've ever faced someone from the Elemental Nations. Needless to say, I was amazed at his abilities!"

Lee had a grin to match his girlfriend's as he pumped a fist into the air, "It was exhilarating to face one of the fighting styles of the other Continents! Nekomi-san had even helped me with learning some of her techniques to integrate it with my fighting style. We remained in contact through letters after that… We even met up a few times after that, usually the two of us would meet up somewhere in the middle."

"You mean that's where you'd disappear to when you said you'd have to go out on training trips." Tenten commented as both she and Neji couldn't help but stare at their teammate with looks of disbelief, "I thought it was weird that Guy-Sensei didn't say anything when you requested to go by yourself."

"I never expected you to get together with someone from the Elemental Nations, Nekomi-sempai."

The green-haired Special had a mischievous cat-like smile on her face as she looked at the former member of her Judo Club. "Oh~? And is it so strange? There is more to Lee-kun than simple appearance."

As Lee and Nekomi continued to converse with his teammates, members of Medaka's Student Council and some of the other Konoha Eleven, Kiba could be seen off to the side with a depressing aura around him. Shino and Akamaru, who was happy to stay away from Medaka, much to the Abnormal's tearful dismay, were at the Inuzuka's side as he mopped, "To think that Lee of all people got a girlfriend before me, and a hot one at that!"

"Really, Kiba? You should be happy for Lee." Shino commented as he had his hands in his jacket pockets and shook his head in a disappointed manner, "And why? Because he is our friend and a fellow Shinobi of Konoha."

"Shut up, Shino! You just don't get it!" Anime tears fell down Kiba's face as he glared up at his male teammate, before snapping his head to look at his Ninken partner as the dog whimpered while looking away in embarrassment, "What do you mean, I'm acting like a drama queen?! You're supposed to be on my side, Akamaru!"

"Um… Kiba-kun… You should be happy for Lee-san… He managed to find someone he really cares about." Hinata spoke with a hand raised to her chest as she stared down at one of her closest friends and teammate.

"Easy for you to say. You confessed to Naruto. Even that idiot isn't stupid enough to turn you down."

"Kiba!" Shino said sharply, making Kiba flinch as he realized what he said.

Turning his head to look at the female Hyūga, an uneasy expression on her face as she shifted her gaze to the ground. "Gah!? Sorry, Hinata! I said that without thinking!"

"… It's… its fine, Kiba-kun…"

"Um, did I hear you say that someone confessed to Naruto?" Zenkichi asked, causing the white-eyed girl's face to turn completely red as she noticed the stares she was getting from everyone in the group.

"H-Huh, I, well…"

Seeing as the girl in question wasn't going to give the visitors from outside the Elemental Nations a proper answer, Ino let out soft sigh before explaining to the small group about what had occurred during the battle with Pein. The platinum-blonde told them all about how Naruto and his Toad Summon allied had appeared after Pein and his Six Paths had created the giant crater in the middle of the village, and how the battle escalated until only one of Pein's bodies remained after Naruto and the Toads had defeated the rest, only for the last one to pin Naruto down. She then revealed how Hinata had arrived on the battlefield to save Naruto and confessed her feelings to him before trying to fight off Pein, only for the Rinnegan User to almost fatally wound her.

"So, Hinata Hyūga had confessed her feelings for Naruto during the battle." Medaka said as she and the other members of her Student Council, her open fan held up in front of her face while nodding her head several times with a smile. "It is something like out of a romance novel or a movie. The convictions of a young maiden in love is something to be admired! Did he give you a response yet?"

"N-No… Naruto-kun and I haven't talked about it since then," Hinata admitted as most of the redness on her face lightened up to where it was a red dust on her cheeks. "B-but we've been busy with the reconstruction of the village! Not to mention, a lot of Shinobi are recovering while others are assisting the villagers with any problems that are still going on."

A flash of dissatisfaction appeared on Medaka's face at that, before she closed her eyes and tapped her now closed fan against her lips. "I see… I suppose that is disappointing to hear…" While she didn't vocalize it, there was a small part of her that somehow felt relief that Naruto hadn't addressed Hinata about her confession yet… What a weird feeling…

"Uh, Medaka-san… are you okay?" The Treasurer of the Hakoniwa Academy Student Council asked as she noticed the busty Abnormal seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hmm? Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Medaka answered with a confused expression as she turned to look at Mogana with a raised eyebrow.

But before anyone could say anything, a familiar voice could be heard, "Oi! Medaka-chan! Everybody!" Everyone turned their heads to see Naruto running up to them with Sakura and Sai trailing behind him, "Thanks for not leaving the area after my Shadow Clone dismissed itself. It made it a lot easier to find you."

"Sorry for the wait." Sai apologized with Sakura, who managed to finally finish up her rounds in the medical tents, greeting the group with a wave. "It took us a while to finally corner Condor and restrain him. Hard to believe that a simple bird like that trained to be a Ninja Animal all on its own."

Hearing this, Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Not really surprising to me. Whether it's in the wild or a domestic area, underestimate an animal and they'll make you pay for it."

"Hey there, Zenkichi-san, Medaka-chan. I'm glad to see that you and the others are doing alright after everything that happened a few months back." Sakura smiled as she looked over at her blonde teammate, "Naruto told me about the fights that you went through with that Kumagawa character. I can believe you somehow managed to get your eyesight back after it was erased."

"Yeah, you and me both." Zenkichi replied while rubbing the back of his head, still having trouble with figuring out what he had seen during his short period of being dead.

"Hey, Naruto! You're not gonna believe this. Lee is going out with the sexy, green-haired chick from the Six Continents!" Kiba exclaimed while wildly pointing a finger at the Taijutsu user, whose face was red as a mischievous Nekomi held tightly onto his arm, pressing her decent sized chest against him. "It's crazy, right?!"

Naruto looked back at Kiba with a raised eyebrow at that, "Why would that be crazy? I already knew that for a while."

"What? You did?!" The Inuzuka stared at the blonde Shinobi in shock, something that was mirrored by others from the Konoha Eleven.

"So that's how you knew about Nekomi-sempai." Akune stated as he remembered Naruto know who the greenette was even though they had never met before.

"Of course, but I only knew who she was by name." Shrugging his shoulders at the looks he was getting, Naruto continued to speak. "Bushy Brow came to me about the contacts that I've made with transportation groups and other stuff so he wouldn't have any issues when traveling between here and Japan. Despite the accessibility being available to everyone, not a lot of agencies possess the knowledge or means to get from the Elemental Nations to the Six Continents and vice versa. Medaka-chan has the Kurokami Group to help her and the others travel here thanks to private jets, but normal people like us can't use it."

"What a drag. I guess that makes sense, you do have the most experience out of all of us when it comes to the Six Continents." Shikamaru admitted with a sigh escaping his lips, "That doesn't explain why you guys bothered to hide it from us."

"Yeah, Lee. Neji and I are your teammates. You didn't need to keep this a secret from us," A small smile formed on Tenten's face as she looked at Nekomi for a few seconds, to which the green-haired girl stared back with a cat-like smile, before looking back at her fellow Chūnin. "I think it's great that you found someone to be with… Especially one that can somehow keep up with you."

A soft chuckle escaped Akune's lips at that, "Funny. I was just thinking that about Nekomi-sempai."

"They do say that there is someone out there for everyone." Ino said while crossing her arms under her chest, "Though I honestly didn't think that Lee was going to be the first one out of all of us to get into a romantic relationship."

"Um… Bushy Brow **_isn't_** the first one in our group to be in a relationship."

"…"

"…"

"… EEEEEEEEEHHH?!"

Seeing all of the confused and startled looks he was getting, Naruto pointed his thumb at a certain individual standing silently not too far away from him. "You guys seriously didn't know? Shino is dating the Genjutsu girl that used to be Kurenai-sensei's student… Yakumo, I think her name was…"

"Correct, Yakumo Kurama."

Shocked that the hooded teen wasn't even trying to deny it, Kiba's widened in an anime fashion with large white circles and tiny dots for eyes. "Wait, so you really are dating someone?!"

"I haven't seen Yakumo-san since Asuma-san's funeral," Hinata commented as she thought back to the other female student of Kurenai, who had gone to pay her respects to their teacher losing her husband, before she had to leave for an important clan related issue just before Pein's attack on the village. "When did you two become a couple?

"We-"

"Forget when! How did you managed to not only get a girlfriend before me, but keep it a secret from us?" Kiba shouted in disbelief.

"… He's really sounding desperate with these questions about others getting into relationships." Zenkichi whispered to Naruto, Shikamaru and Chōji, who was munching on a bag on ranch-flavored chips.

The Nara let out another sigh with a bored look, "You get used to it eventually. He's always been the emotional/jealous type ever since we were kids."

"Doesn't mean that days at the academy weren't fun though." Naruto replied with a grin on his face, resting his hands behind his head. "Ditching class to hang out and have fun out in the village. Sneaking out to get a whole bunch of snacks and manga to read before getting caught by Iruka-sensei."

"That was always a pain." Shikamaru commented as he recalled the angry look on the Chūnin Instructor's face whenever he found them. He always wondered how the brunette managed to do it when they avoided so many other Shinobis that tried to get them after one of Naruto's pranks.

Swallowing the large batch of chips he tossed into his mouth, Chōji had a grin on his face. "I don't know. I thought it was fun back then."

"That's because you got to eat all of the snacks before we had a chance to try any."

"What was that about ditching class?"

Everyone, even Kiba and Shino after their conversation came to a halt, watched as Naruto's body turned pale white before he turned around to see that Medaka, who had mirrored Naruto's pose, was staring at the blonde with a stern expression. "I-I… Uh, well you see… C-Come on, Medaka-chan. This was almost six years ago."

"Didn't you promise that you'd take your lessons more seriously?" Medaka asked as she lowered her arms and took a step forward, to which Naruto took a step back. "I thought I made it perfectly clear about how you shouldn't avoid getting a proper education."

"First of all, this happened before that promise!" Naruto pointed out with a bead of sweat falling down the side of his face, "Secondly, just because we weren't in class didn't mean we didn't do any training or anything productive."

"Like when you painted Hokage Rock?"

"Not helping, Kiba!" Naruto exclaimed as he shot the smirking Inuzuka a glare before turning back in time to see Medaka a few feet in front of him. "… Show mercy?"

"… No ramen for one month."

"What?! No! That's just evil, Medaka-chan!" A scared look appeared on Naruto's face as he clapped his hands in a begging manner, "Come on! It was when I was young and stupid!"

Sakura nodded her head in agreement at that, "You were pretty stupid back then."

"The next one to say something bad about me gets a** Giant Rasengan **to the face!" Naruto shouted angrily as he faced his fellow Shinobi, to which most awkwardly looked away with weak laughs, not wanting to face the Jinchūriki who managed to defeat Pein and his Six Paths when the most elite Shinobis couldn't. Turning back to the red-eyed girl, Naruto decided to use his secret weapon. "How about this? I'll take you to all of the places we have Ninja Animals?" Naruto offered, mentally cheering that his bargain was working based on the glint in he saw in the Abnormal girl's eyes. "We have a lot of clans and Shinobi around here that have animal partners and such that can handle the worst Shinobi around, right, Kiba?"

"Huh? Yeah, I guess so. My mom's dog, Kuromaru, fought in the Third Shinobi World War, so there's not a lot of dogs more badass than him… Sorry buddy." Kiba apologized to his partner, though it didn't seem to bother Akamaru since the dog knew who the alpha of the Inuzuka Ninken was. "My sis is also a Veterinarian, so she takes care of a lot of Ninja Animals as well at her office."

Zenkichi and the others from the Six Continents could see that Medaka was quickly fold as her eyes sparkled. "So I'll get to have fun with all those ninja puppies? Really?"

"O-Of course… I mean, while Akamaru is scared of you, he isn't so terrified that he's running away as fast as he can to get away from you. That means there's some hope for the other dogs of his clan, right?" Naruto spoke up as he flashed his childhood friend a warm smile, something that caught the attention of a certain Kunoichi as she watched the two converse. "So what do you say? Forget about me ditching some classes to hang out with Ninja Animals during you time here?"

"Deal!"

"Knew that was going to happen." Zenkichi muttered with an amused smile, something that was mirrored by the members of the Student Council.

A small bit of laughter came from various people in the group before they took noticed the face that the sun was already starting to set. Seeing that it was too late to do any other activities besides the large group's plans to head to one of the newly rebuilt restaurants, a disappointed Medaka conceded to seeing the Ninja Animals the next day while making Naruto promise that they would follow through with his plans.

**(A Few Days Later)**

"Man, I know that I'm the host and everything, but Zenkichi didn't have to rush me off like that when he's the one cooking!?" Naruto complained as he walked down the path leading to his new apartment, coming back from shopping at the nearby grocery store with items for the meal that his male childhood friend was making. The best part was that it was an old recipe that Hitomi used to make for the three whenever they were all together, so in the end, Naruto didn't really mind grabbing ingredients for the nostalgic meal. "All of this stuff should be enough for the five of us."

True to what she had stated, Nekomi followed through on her plans to stay with Lee during her time in Konohagakure, something that the blushing Chūnin stutteringly agreed to as his girlfriend smiled mischievously at him. Once again, Kiba gritted his teeth enviously at the Taijutsu User's luck with such an attractive girl, while Akune mused on his condolences on how his sempai was acting around Lee. Eh, as long as the two were happy. But with her insistence on staying with Lee, Naruto only had Medaka, Zenkichi and their fellow Student Council members staying at his place, which made things a little easier with Zenkichi and Akune sleeping on the futon and couch located in the living room while the girls stayed in the guest bedroom… Yeah, Naruto's new place was a major improvement over the small one he used to have.

Looking up at the night sky above him as he lowered his grocery arm, Naruto couldn't help but think back to the last time he had looked up at the stars while walking through the village by himself. It was just after he had heard that Jiraiya had been killed by Pein and just walked around the village as the depression he felt overwhelmed him. Despite everything that happened between the two of them, the perverted hermit had become someone he respected more than anyone, even Iruka, who he saw as a father-figure. It wasn't until after losing the man and confronting both Nagato and Konan that Naruto truly understood what the Sannin had been fighting for, and his dream of ending the cycle of hatred.

The blonde snapped out of his thoughts as he caught sight of a familiar female figure walking far ahead of him, someone that he had been meaning to talk to for a while. Lifting up his free hand to his mouth as he increased his speed to catch up, Naruto called out to the girl. "Oh, Hinata!"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Upon hearing someone call out to her, the Hyūga spun around to see the young man running up to her, a little surprised to see him out so late at night before noticing the plastic bag filled with groceries. "Were you doing some shopping?"

"Yeah. Apparently Zenkichi decided to make dinner tonight using one of Hitomi- obachan's recipes, but we were missing some ingredients." Naruto answered while rubbing the back of his head, a small relieved smile on his face as spoke. "But I am glad that I caught you. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now."

A small blush formed on Hinata's cheeks at that statement, "With me?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to. You see… It's about…" Naruto closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath, before reopening them with a serious expression. "About your confession during Pein's attack."

"A-A-About my c-confession?" Hinata repeated nervously. Naruto nodded with complete seriousness causing Hinata to feel some butterflies in her stomach. She hoped he would return her feelings, but at the same time there was doubt. That doubt only grew as Naruto suddenly bowed his head.

"… I'm really sorry, Hinata." Naruto finally said as he clenched his fists to tightly that they were turning white, bowing the upper half of his body so low that his head was almost reaching his knees.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata took a step back in shock at the blonde's sudden actions.

"I realize that it was hard for you to confess, especially during a battle like that. It is not something I have heard many people say to me either thanks to my circumstances." While Naruto continued to speak, he didn't raise his head at all to look up at Hinata, knowing full well that his next sentence would crush the girl. "But the truth is that while I treasure you as one of my most precious people, I can't return your feelings in that way."

Just as Naruto had guessed, his answer was something that Hinata was hoping not to hear. Tears were building up in her eyes as her shoulders began to tremble.

"The truth is that I'm already in love with someone else. I have been for a long time now and after hearing you confess I realized that I can't string you along with false hope, you deserve someone better than me." Naruto explained with sincerely in his voice as he finally lifted his head up to look at Hinata, his heart squeezing at the heartbroken expression on her face. "I know that right now this probably means nothing, but I am really sorry!"

After a few minutes of letting her tears fall, Hinata managed to work up the courage to speak. "… No… I-I understand Naruto-kun… Y-You don't h-have to punish yourself… I'm just happy that you were honest with me."

"I… I couldn't lie to you Hinata, not when you've been so kind to me ever since we were kids." Naruto admitted as he briefly closed his eyes before reaching into his pouch and, to Hinata's shock, pulled out a familiar black container that had contained the healing ointment that she had given him during the Chūnin Exams. "You remember this, right? You gave it to me after my battle with Kiba, and then you encouraged me when I was nervous about me fight with Neji. I've never forgotten what you've done for me, especially putting yourself on the line to save me from the Akatsuki. You don't know how relieve I was when I realized you were still alive."

_'Naruto-kun… Please… If you keep saying stuff like this…'_ Hinata's shoulders began to shake again as she heard Naruto give her praise, her heart throbbing as she knew that his words didn't possess romance, but rather they reflected his view of her as a comrade and precious friend. Finally managing to strength in her voice to speak, Hinata raised a hand to wipe away her tears. "… Y-You don't have to say any more."

"Hinata." Naruto whispered as he watched the Hyuuga girl walk closer to him and placed both of her hands around the one he was holding out.

"To be honest… I was always watching you, wishing to stand by your side. And while the way you see me isn't the way I truly want, you recognize me as an equal… That is enough for me."

"Are you sure? I can understand if you don't want anything to do with me now. Hell. If you wanted to use your Jūken on me, I wouldn't stop you."

"N-No! I-I could never want that!" Hinata stated in a firm tone as shook her head fiercely, surprising Naruto as she continued to hold onto his hand tightly, "It is thanks to you that I managed to become stronger, both as a person and as a Kunoichi. You are as much one of my precious people as I am too you!"

"H-Hinata…"

"… Does Medaka-san know how you feel about her?" Hinata asked with curiosity.

A red blush formed over Naruto's cheeks, his gaze shifting towards the ground as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, um… No, I haven't told her yet… How did you know it was her?"

"Medaka-san is a very lucky woman. I can see how much you care about her from the way you two interact with each other," Hinata said as she thought back to when Medaka appeared behind Naruto and copied his movements until he noticed her behind him, followed by how much Naruto was smiling as he conversed with her and tried to cheer her up after the failed attempt to see if any of Konoha's Ninja Animals would react positively to her presence. Building up the last amount of courage in her heart, Hinata swallowed hard. "… Naruto-kun."

"Hu…!?" Naruto was cut off guard as he felt something soft press against his whiskers before realizing that Hinata had gently placed her lips on his cheek, and was unable to say anything as the girl pulled back, the bangs preventing him from seeing her eyes.

"Be sure to tell her exactly how you feel about her before its too late. I'm rooting for you." Hinata said with a smile before quickly spinning around and ran off, not looking back once as her tears lifted into the air behind her.

Slowly lifting his hand up to the cheek that Hinata had kissed, Naruto could still feel a bit of the sensation on his skin. The Hyuuga girl already disappearing around the corner as a small bittersweet smile formed on his face, putting the empty black container back into his pouch. "… Thank you, Hinata. I hope you find someone who will cherish you."

"Wow… That is so romantically cliché. Breaking a young maiden's heart and finishing off with a statement like that."

"Eh? Sakura?"

Spinning around at the familiar voice, Naruto was surprised to see his pink-haired teammate standing behind him with a blank expression and her arms crossed.

"You really are an idiot."

"H-How long have you been here? Wait, why are you here?"

"I had finished up my night rounds at the medical tents and was heading home. It was just by chance that I caught sight of the two of you, but I stayed hidden around the corner instead of going another way." Sakura explained as she motioned for Naruto to walk with her as they took another route that passed the playground, "I'm sorry for eavesdropping."

Naruto shook his head as he placed his hands behind his head and followed after the girl, "It's fine. I just hope things turn out better between us, not to mention how much I hope Neji and Team 8 won't hunt me down later."

"With how protective they are, it's a strong possibility." Sakura nonchalantly said as she shrugged her shoulders, "But don't worry, I'll be sure to heal you afterwards as long as it isn't life threatening."

"The **_concern_** in your voice is truly heartwarming." Naruto muttered in a sarcastic tone, before lowering his hands.

"While I am angry at you for making Hinata cry, I suppose I'm not someone who can criticize you on who you fall in love with." A heavy sigh escaping her lips, Sakura's hands resting behind her back as a melancholy look formed on her face, an image of Sasuke's face flashing in the back of her mind. "At least you were honest with her instead of dragging the situation out. Now all you have to do is talk to Medaka-san."

"Yeah, but it's not like the chances of me ending up with her is set in stone. Medaka-chan is someone that is loved by more people than I can count, especially Zenkichi." Naruto pointed out while rubbing the back of his head with an awkward chuckle, though his gaze shifted to the starry sky over their heads. Destruction aside, there were no words to describe the beautiful view overhead thanks to the lack of lights.

"That's right, you told me about that years ago… I still don't know how the two of you managed to maintain your friendship to such an extent even though you both are in love with the same girl."

"I can thank you and Ino for that." Naruto said making Sakura turn to him with a confused look, "Back when we were kids and I had come back from visiting Medaka and Zenkichi, after all of us were already attending the Ninja Academy. I saw how you guys, friends that had been so close, became enemies because of your feelings for Sasuke. Not having a family, my friendship with Zenkichi was one of most important things to me, and I was terrified that the same thing would happen to us since we both wanted to be close to Medaka-chan."

"Since when have you been the one to hesitate with anything? Geez, when it comes to love, you got to give it everything you got. If you don't do anything, you're guaranteed to lose her!" Sakura stated as she grabbed Naruto's collar, forcing him to face her as she pulled back a fist. "So just be the unpredictable, reckless idiot you've always been! Or do I need to knock the fear out of you… You scaredy-cat!"

Naruto's eyes widened at those final words as he stood silent for a few seconds before a grin formed on his face, reaching up a hand to grab the one Sakura was using to grip his collar. "Heh, how long have you been waiting for your chance to use that?"

Letting out a soft giggle as she released her hold, Sakura lowered her other hand. "You and Sasuke always used that to motivate each other, so I've been saving it for the right moment."

"Thanks Sakura. I know what I need to do!" The grin on Naruto's face grew larger as he turned around and started running off, "See you later, Sakura!"

"See you… Idiot…" Sakura whispered with a smile as she spun around on her heels, stretching her arms high above her head. "Yosh! I think I'll stop at the Dango Shop on the way home and pick up some anmitsu as a treat after a long, successful day!"

**(Naruto's Apartment)**

"Man, where the heck is Naruto? I sent him out to get groceries almost an hour ago." Zenkichi grumbled as he stood outside the large apartment that Naruto had been given during the reconstruction with an annoyed look on his face and his arms crossed, wondering where his Ninja friend was with the ingredients he had sent him out for.

"I thought Naruto was the more impatient one between the two of you." Zenkichi turned his head slightly to see Medaka standing behind him in the exact same position as him, though she had an amused smile on her face. "Though I do suppose he has kept us waiting a bit."

Suddenly Medaka's ahoge swished back and forth as the girl's head perked up, picking up the sounds of jumping coming to their location thanks to her superior hearing. Already knowing who it was Medaka turned head to face the approaching figure.

"Sorry guys, but I need to borrow Medaka-chan for a bit!" Naruto stated, picking up the Student Council President bridal-style before the others could say anything and leaped off the railing.

"Oi! Where are you taking her?!" Akune roared out as he and Mogana stuck their heads out to see that Naruto and Medaka were already several buildings away.

Zenkichi blinked a few times as he noticed that he was now holding several bags in his hands, filled with the groceries that Naruto was supposed to get. A small smile formed on the strawberry blonde's face as he let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he spun around to head into the apartment. "Well, I suppose it was going to happen eventually. I already had my turn."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean by that, Hitoyoshi?" Akune questioned with narrow eyes.

"None of your business. Just something between me and Naruto." Zenkichi retorted as he made his way to the small kitchen, ignoring the annoyed look the Student Council Secretary was sending him as he started to prep dinner, "Kikaijima, can you help me with cutting the vegetables while I work on the meat?"

"Sure, but I'll be charging you 1000 yen for my help." Kikaijima replied as she walked into the kitchen, her answer causing Zenkichi to sweatdrop before shaking his head.

"Fine, whatever. Just help me get this stuff finished up before Medaka-chan and Naruto get back."

**(Meanwhile)**

"Where are you taking me, Naruto?" Medaka questioned with curiosity on her face as she remained still in Naruto's arms as he leaped across the roofs of constructions buildings, lampposts and various others objects. There was no fear on her face or any other such emotion as she turned her gaze from the ground below back to the man carrying her, "If you wanted to talk to me privately, you should've just said so-"

"Just wait a little bit, Medaka-chan." The blond interrupted as he kept his gaze focused on the makeshift path up ahead, making one of his childhood friends blink in surprise at the look on concentration that he had on his face, "… There is something I need to say… But if I say it now, there's a chance I met mess things up somehow, ya know."

"… Very well…"

That was all Medaka said before Naruto felt her rest her head against his chest, making the 16 year old smile a little as he continued making his way to his destination. It didn't take them long to reach the place Naruto was heading towards, the Hokage Stone Faces. Channeling Chakra to his feet, Naruto landed on the flat surface of the mountain before heading towards the large, stone head of the Yondaime, using some of the spiky 'hairs' as stepping stones to reach the flat surface at the top of the head. "We made it."

"I remember this place. The three of us used to come here almost every time Zenkichi and I came to visit." Medaka commented as Naruto allowed her to stand on her own two feet securing herself next to him on the flat part of the Stone Yondaime's hair. The two of them staring out at the scarred village and all that remained of Pein's attack, and the reconstruction that was being made. "For some reason, this was always your favorite spot for us to be out of all the Hokage faces, even after learning about how the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into you…"

"…"

"…"

"… I met him." Naruto finally spoke up.

Medaka blinked once at that before turning her head to look at him, "Hm? You met who?"

"The Yondaime Hokage." Naruto clarified as he closed his eyes, having vivid images of the battle with Pein before Hinata got injured, and then things got harder. "Turns out he left a failsafe inside of the Kyuubi's seal in case it ever went out of control, and appeared just as I was about to give up."

"Give up?" This time a bit of shock was present of Medaka's face since she never thought that those two words would ever leave Naruto's lips.

"Yeah, like you heard, Pein was responsible for killing Ero-Sennin. After that, he attacked the village and killed so many people, like Kakashi-sensei and then hurting Hinata… I even found out that Pein used to be a student of Ero-Sennin's just like I was." Naruto explained as he clenched his hands into tight fists, "All of that, and hearing about how Pein… no, Nagato berated our teacher's desire for peace… It just kept building up inside of me… I almost release the Kyuubi just to end it."

"But why would you do that?!" Medaka questioned as she grabbed Naruto's arm to make him look at her, only for him to keep his eyes closed.

"… Because I didn't have my answer… Not yet at least," Naruto replied as he finally turned to face Medaka. Memories of him standing in front of the gate holding the Kyuubi back flashed through his mind, with the nine-tailed beast surprisingly trying to snap the Shinobi out of his despair-enhanced trance. "An answer to Nagato's question to how I would achieve peace in this world… And then he showed up… my Dad."

"The Yondaime… Well, he was said to be a great leader and strategist during the war, something you've inherited from him."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he watched Medaka let go of his arm with a knowing smile on her face. "You don't seem really surprised to hear that."

"Why would I? The two of you look almost exactly the same after all. Not to mention that it would make sense that someone as noble as that wouldn't ask another family to have their child bear the responsibility of becoming a Jinchūriki." Medaka pointed out causing Naruto to sweatdrop at the fact that he didn't put it together even though the Yondaime was one of his role models growing up… his **_dad _**was his role model. "He probably has a lot of faith that you could handle that burden."

"That's almost exactly the same thing he said to me. How'd you know?" Naruto asked as he thought back to when his father's chakra remnant's final words to him after fixing the seal.

"Because I have a lot of faith in you!" Medaka answered with a bright smile on her face, causing Naruto to blush at her comment. "And I'm not the only one either, everyone in the village and Zenkichi, we all believe in you, Mr. Hero of Konoha."

"… You and your **Proof of One's Worth**," Naruto let out a chuckle as he let his body fall back onto the stone head and shift into a seated position, "Don't forget that Zenkichi and I were there when you develop every one of those trump cards of yours… Especially that **Over-Flowing Love** one…"

"You say like it was a bad thing." The blue-haired girl retorted as she sat down next to Naruto with a confident smirk on her face, "And there is nothing wrong with that trump card."

"Say that to Zenkichi after he stopped you from stealing the first kisses of all the kids going to your elementary school… and the kids around that town festival we went to when I came to visit. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those girls grew up to be lesbians because of you."

Medaka raised as eyebrow at that, "Once again, I don't see the problem. Love isn't something that shouldn't be contained or limited to heterosexuality."

"Yeah… To be honest, I was kind of jealous that Zenkichi was the first person you used that on… I kind of hated myself for that." Naruto admitted while switching his seated position where he had one bent knee upward with an arm resting on it, continuing to speak as he noticed the confusion seen on Medaka's face. "You two were the first people that acknowledged my existence, and the more we were able to hang out, the more I wanted that feeling to be there. At first, I thought that getting that feeling from the village would make things even better, but it wasn't until a few years back that I realized that the feeling I got from other people and what I felt for you guys was completely different… That what I felt between you and Zenkichi was different as well."

"…"

"I didn't really know that much about the concept of love, between friends, family, objects, or even that **_special person_**. It wasn't until I asked Hitomi- obachan and she gave me and Zenkichi 'the talk'… that both of us realized that we were both in love with the same girl." Naruto explained as he turned to Medaka, whose cheeks gained a flush of red at hearing the blonde's confession. "Zenkichi and I saw you as someone we wanted to catch up to and stand beside, and after being will you for so long, that desire grew with our feelings. At first, neither of us wanted to admit it each other, because we were best friends. But then I remember seeing how so many of the girls at the Ninja Academy acted when it came to Sasuke, how so many of them had been such close friends before chasing after him… and I didn't want that, because Zenkichi was my 'brother', ya know."

"What you are saying does make sense I suppose, though I don't really agree with it. The bond between the two of you is stronger than many other relationships out there. At times, I couldn't help but feel jealous."

Naruto couldn't help but snicker as he watched Medaka gain a cute pout on her face with her ahoge swaying side to side. "That's because Zenkichi and I made a pact, that no matter what happened, the two of us would never turn our backs on one another, and at the same time, continuing to do our best to catch up to you. To prove that you weren't alone."

"I never realized you both had made such a decision, especially after turning down my marriage proposal all those years ago."

"We were only 2 years old! And we just met you! Only an idiot would say yes to something like that!"

Naruto's words seemed to comically crush the girl's spirit as she had the same expression as she did all those years ago. The only reason he even know about such a thing was because he had asked Kakashi about it after finding out that his teacher had been the Anbu known as Dog, and was watching over Naruto when he had first met Medaka and Zenkichi. A dark veil of emotions hovering above her head as she turned away from her second childhood friend, causing Naruto to sweatdrop at her actions.

"Seriously Medaka-chan? I can't believe this is still bothering you." Naruto pointed out as he watched the girl continue to mope, "This is almost as painful to watch as when you try to play with animals and they run away from you because of your overwhelming presence."

"Don't remind me… Even the ninja puppies didn't work!" Medaka cried out as tears built up in her eyes, to which Naruto rubbed the top of her head with an uneasy look.

_'Kiba said he's never seen all of his clan's dogs react that badly to someone before, if ever.' _Naruto thought to himself while thinking back to when Naruto had brought Medaka and the rest of her Student Council to the Inuzuka Compound to see if Medaka would be able to interact with them… The girl had been so heartbroken._ 'Even his Mom's dog, Kuromaru, an experienced, battle-hardened Ninken from the Third Shinobi War was reduced to a crying mess.'_

Shaking his head a bit, Naruto decided to change the subject before the Abnormal next to him sunk into a deeper depression like she usually did when it came to animals. "… I heard from Zenkichi that he confessed to you during a battle with that asshole, Kumagawa."

"He told you about that, huh?"

"Of course, you and Zenkichi promised to keep me informed about everything you guys have to deal with back at Hakoniwa Academy. Especially after all the crap you guys went through while I was there, recovering from my battle with Kakuzu." Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out, to Medaka's surprise, a familiar orange device. "That way, I can come help you guys if you need help."

"Is that a cellphone?" Medaka asked as she reached out and took the device from Naruto and studied it with a curious expression. It looked like the standard flip-phones that she had seen multiple students back at the academy possessed, though there was a few differences, such as a strange antenna-like object that ejected from the bottom of the device by pressing a small button.

"Yup, one of the first models created for Shinobi use. Over a hundred times more durable than cellphones back in the Six Continents so it can be handled on the field. And one of the best parts is that it uses Chakra to recharge itself." Naruto explained as he took the device back from Medaka, "Apparently it was one of the projects that the Kurokami Group took an interest in with the international alliance."

"The Kurokami Group? As in my father?"

Noticing the look on her face at the mention of her father, Naruto shook his head. "More of it being your perverted brother insisting that I'd get one, and he made sure it was orange too!" Medaka couldn't help but giggle at Naruto's excited look as he rubbed his cheek against his cellphone, "The weird thing is that with the few numbers he gave me, he didn't give me yours."

That halted Medaka's actions as her amusement was replaced with a dark aura surrounding her, causing Naruto to freeze up as some of her hair turned fluorescent red. **"I see… It looks like I'll have to pay Onii-san a visit once I return to** **Hakoniwa Academy."**

_'I feel like I just signed Pervy-Maguro's death warrant.'_ Naruto thought to himself as sweat fell profusely down his face, his body trembling while his eyes were replaced with large white circles. Trying shake off his fear. Naruto placed a hand on Medaka's and brought it up to his whiskered cheek, "C-Calm down Medaka-chan! Here! Rub my cheek!"

**_"Haa_**_aa_aaaa…" Feeling the familiar sensation of Naruto's whiskers, Medaka's hand softly brushed against the animalistic cheek and the girl started to return to normal. It was the closest sensation to petting an animal that Medaka always dreamed of doing, and the action always seemed to calm her down whenever she got depressed or angry. "… I wish I could have a real animal as my pet."

"I know. But remember, Zenkichi and I promised that we'd find one for you in the future!" Naruto commented as he dismissed the pleasant sensation coming from his cheeks. Letting Medaka continue for a few more seconds before softly clenching his fingers around the blue-haired Abnormal's hand and gently pulled it off, causing her to fully turn to him in confusion, only for her eyes to widen slightly as she saw Naruto's face was a little closer now. "Medaka-chan… I love you. No matter what happens, no matter where we might end up… even if you decide to be with Zenkichi… my feelings for you will never change."

"Ah-!?" This was the second time it happened, just like before with Zenkichi, Medaka felt her heart skip a beat.

Both times were different from when Oudo announce his intentions on making her his woman, which simply caught her off guard… But these confessions were different… They came from the two people she cared about more than anyone else in the world, a Normal and a Shinobi that did everything they could to catch up to her. Both were men who followed their own paths, and yet never let her fall into the despair she had originally expected her life to have… until she met Naruto and Zenkichi in that daycare room.

"Naru-" Medaka was cut off as the blonde teen pressed his lips to hers, causing her scarlet irises to shrink slightly as she could actually feel the emotions pouring out of Naruto as he kissed her. It was definitely a new sensation since she had always been the kisser in the past, always using her **Proof of One's Worth** on so many since elementary school. Both of her childhood friends had been targets of her kissing spree as well, but still, this had never happened to her before. For someone else to be the initiator… She had to admit that it **_wasn't _**an unpleasant experience.

Leaning back as he pulled his lips away from the blue-haired girl's after a few more seconds had passed, Naruto opened his eyes and was greeted by a sight he had never seen before. Medaka's cheeks had a pink shade as she slowly opened her eyes and stared back at him with a soft glaze in them, the hand that was being held in Naruto's soft grip had shifted and now had her fingers intertwined with his fingers. Not even two seconds passed before the look on Medaka's face changed to one of deep thought as she pulled back a bit and gently traced the tips her index and middle finger against her now puffy lips. Staring at the girl as she continued this action a few more times, Naruto blinked as she turned to face the village with a knowing smile forming.

"So, that is what it is like being kissed inside of initiating it." Medaka let out a giggle as she closed her eyes in amusement, "I've always wondered if it would be just as stimulating, but it seems like there is a surprisingly significant difference."

"…Hm-Hahaha~!" Naruto couldn't help but laugh at hearing that, leave it to the Abnormal next to him to see his actions as a learning experience. It was one of the reasons he fell in love with her in the first place, her incredible and unbelievable way of looking at situations. "I guess I shouldn't have expe -"

This time, it was Naruto who was cut off as Medaka grabbed his cheeks before bringing him close and initiated a kiss of her own. A few seconds passed once again before a pleased Medaka pulled back with closed eyes and a triumphant smile. "As I expected, while I do enjoy being on the receiving end, being the one to initiate kiss is much more to my speed."

"…"

"Hmm, what is it?" Medaka asked as she noticed the dumbfolded expression on Naruto's face, only to be answered with a sigh as his head drooped.

_'… I was able to confess, that's enough for now… right?'_ Naruto thought to himself before shaking his head to clear his head, slapping his cheeks a few times and then shot up to his feet. "Zenkichi must've gotten dinner ready by now! Let's head back!"

"Huh? Are you sure? Isn't it normal for the man to want to hear the girl's response immediately after he confesses to her?" The youngest Kurokami sibling asked with a raised eyebrow as she stared up at Naruto.

"Maybe, but you aren't a normal girl!" That was Naruto's response before holding a hand out to her to help her back to her feet with a grin on his face, "I'm more than willing to wait for an answer. Like I said, it won't change my feelings for you."

"… I see." A large smile formed on Medaka's face as she reached up and took Naruto's hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. "Shall we head home then?"

Nodding his head, Naruto came to a halt as a thought came to mind. "There's just one last thing I need to tell you."

"Something to tell me?"

"My answer to Nagato's question about acquiring peace and facing humanity's Cycle of Hatred. I did come to one during my battle with him." Naruto clarified as he turned away from Medaka to face the reconstructed village below, closing his eyes as he stretched his arms out as far as he could. "I've decided to believe in Ero-Sennin's words and find a way to achieve peace. Not just here in the Elemental Nations, but for the rest of the world…" Medaka remained silent as she listened to her second childhood friend as he continued to speak, "I'll break that cycle. If there is any such thing as peace, I will seize it. I won't give up, ya know!"

"Naruto…" Medaka whispered to herself as she stared at the Shinobi's back, not realizing a warm smile forming on her face as she did. It seems that just like Zenkichi, Naruto was finding his own path and maturing into a strong man.

The Abnormal girl's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar growling sound, making her blink a few times as she watched as Naruto turned to face her with a sheepish grin. "Okay… Let's go eat now. I'm starving."

"Heh," A snicker escaped Medaka's lips at that. "Alright, let's go home." Feeling Naruto once again pick her up bridal style, a thought occurred to Medaka as the Shinobi was about to leap off the Fourth's head. "Perhaps you should try and improve your relationship with Kyuubi-san."

"Improve my relationship?"

"Of course. The two of you have to face the Akatsuki and enemies just like them. Shouldn't the two of you get along and work together to be victorious?"

Naruto paused at the question, looking from Medaka towards the village below. "… I suppose you're right…"

"… Do you hate the Kyuubi?"

"I… I don't hate him. I mean, yeah, it was because of its actions that a lot of people lost people they care about. My own parents died because of it. And it was because the Kyuubi was sealed inside of me that the villagers treated me like a plague." Naruto started as he thought about what his father had told him back in his mindscape, "But… Kyuubi has helped me out on more occasions than I can count, not to mention, I learned that it wasn't his fault that and someone was controlling it."

"Regardless of its immense power, it's possible that Kyuubi is just like all of us and it became feared because of circumstances."

Leaping off the giant mountain head, Naruto began making his way home with a focused expression. "Yeah. All of that hatred inside of him is probably from all of negativity that Shinobis created from wars and cruel actions. Ero-Sennin's wish for the Cycle of Hatred to be broken doesn't have to be limited to humanity itself… Maybe I can help Kyuubi out as well."

"I'm sure you will be able to figure something out." Medaka stated with a smile before noticing Naruto's apartment complex in the distance. "I have faith in you."

Meanwhile, inside of Naruto's seal, the Kyuubi could be seen laying down with its head resting on its paws. Scrunching his face a little while its eyes remained closed, a grunt escaped its lips as he thought about the words of it container. **_"Tch! As if I would accept such appealing words just because it sounds nice… There is only one way that I would believe anything you have to say, the same method you've always used to prove yourself…"_**

**NUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZHNUMKZH**

_Two out of three chapters down, and only one to go. As you read, this chapter followed the Medaka Box timeline in tandem with Naruto S__hippūden.__ Th__e next and final chapter will involve some of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and the epilogues of both stories..__So, like always be sure to leave some nice reviews, but remember that all flames and insults will be IGNORED, so don't bother writing them. I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter and I hope to see you again._

_A/N:  I am also working on my** Dhampir of Yokai Academy **story as well. It should be out within the next few weeks._

**_See you next time!_**


	3. Reaching Adulthood's Epilogue

**_Happy Early Birthday to Naruto Uzumaki!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Medaka Box or Naruto. Those rights belong to Nisio Isin Akira Akatsuki and Masashi Kishimoto respectively. I also don't own any other anime or its characters that might appear in this story. There will be some differences from the original materials of both Anime/Manga. So without any delay. Sit back, relax and enjoy the story._**

People Speaking: "You don't become Hokage to be acknowledged by everyone."

People Thinking: _'It's the people acknowledged by everyone that become Hokage.'_

_Monster/Demon Speaking:_** "People don't exist to follow rules."**

Monster/Demon Thinking: **'_Rules exist to protect the people.'_**

Techniques or Abnormality Names: **"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"**

Chapter 3

Reaching Adulthood's Epilogue

"I can't believe Medaka-chan kicked us out of my own house." Naruto grumbled as he and Zenkichi walked down the road leading to his new home, which was the one that his parents had own before he was born. Apparently, it had been left to him for when he became Jōnin, to which he had been recently promoted as of a few days ago. The residence had to go through a major remodel since it was one of the buildings destroyed from Pein's attack on the village, but luckily a lot of the possessions Minato and Kushina had were moved to a secret location thanks to Kakashi and a few old friends of Minato's.

It wasn't even half a month ago when Naruto and Sasuke saved the world from Madara, and the true masterminds behind the war, Black Zetsu and Kaguya, both male members of Team 7 having their final confrontation at the Valley of the End where Naruto lost his right arm and Sasuke, his left. Word soon spread across the entire world on the war that had broken out in the Elemental Nations and how Naruto and Sasuke had saved everyone from being absorbed, which was something that occurred around the world as the Tree Branches from the **Infinite Tsukyomi** had targeted anyone that had any amounts of Chakra, not matter how small the amount.

Many repaired were being made to the continents that had been targeted, where dozens of countries and hundreds of cities were in ruins. Of course, upon hearing what had happened to their childhood friend, both Medaka and Zenkichi took the first available transportation available to the Elemental Nations, and were surprised to see that the usually opened gates leading into Konoha were sealed shut with a massive crowd being held back by a barricade in front of it. It was only thanks to a few of the Shinobi guarding the gates recognizing the two that both Medaka and Zenkichi were allowed entry, much to the complaints from the crowds.

From there, the two were directed to the area that Naruto was staying in time to see him sitting on a bench outside the hospital, wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and pants with the right sleeve of his shirt dangling at his side. There were a few other people standing around him, including Gaara the Yondaime Kazekage, A the Yondaime Raikage and Killer B, the Hachibi Jinchūriki, though that didn't matter to the two as they rushed to his side, surprising Naruto at their sudden appearance though this was quickly replaced with joy as he gave each of them a one-arm hug before introducing his best friends to everyone there. As he was introducing Medaka, the women in the group, Shizune, Karui and Temari, couldn't help but feel a blow to their pride at seeing a recently-turned 17 possessing a body that easily put theirs to shame, while Killer B made his usual raps about the beautiful Kurokami. To his surprise, the dismay of those from Kumo and Gyūki, and the amusement of Naruto and Zenkichi, Medaka was able to perfectly reply to the older man with raps of her own.

Truly, Medaka's **The End** was something to be feared.

"Well, there was not much you could do with Iruka-san and Kakashi-sama assigning you private lessons for your promotion. You know how Medaka-chan is when it comes to education." Zenkichi stated as he recalled the girl delivering a German Suplex to Naruto as he tried to escape through the door after hearing that he was going to have to study more in exchange for his Jōnin promotion. It had been quite the hilarious sight for the three, Shikamaru and Team Ebisu to see the **Savior of the World** get manhandled by the Abnormal into getting started with his studies.

She had always been adamant about his studying and making sure that the Uzumaki didn't neglect the academic side of being a Shinobi, especially with his dream of being Hokage. Leaving Naruto under Iruka's tutor, Medaka had somehow managed to steal Naruto's keys to his new house before telling him he was not allowed to come back until he finished for the day. It was also under her orders that Zenkichi stay behind to help their friend out, though it was mostly to make sure he didn't try and escape.

"I know. Even after becoming a normal student, she hasn't changed a bit."

"Would you expect her to be any different?"

The best friends shared a similar smirk on both their faces at Zenkichi's rhetorical question. "Nah. She wouldn't be the Medaka-chan we know and love if she changed so completely after losing the election to you. I'm glad she's got this chance to experience a life that not even she knows what she wants to do."

Naruto had been shocked to find out that Zenkichi had beaten Medaka in the election to become 100th Student Council President. In the secret phone calls that the two had been sharing, Naruto knew of Zenkichi's intentions and reasons as to why he was doing it in the first place, and stayed true to their agreement on allowing one another the chance to win Medaka's affections… Though to be honest, he still couldn't believe it when he heard that the girl had received only 2 percent approval. With their new roles, the Shinobi saw the changes in appearances that his childhood friends had undergone. Medaka had shortened her hair to shoulder-length while the rest was put in to a small ponytail, while her outfit switched from her customized uniform to an open, light yellow jacket, a dark red shirt that showed her stomach, blue jeans and detached sleeves that match her shirt. Zenkichi had customized his own uniform slightly to match his role as a Student Council President and started wearing half-rim rectangle glasses.

"That's almost exactly what she said after I gave her that haircut… Though she did comment on how living unpredictably like a certain blonde knucklehead we knew sounded very exciting."

A deadpanned expression formed on Naruto's face as he turned to look at Zenkichi, "You say that like I never go through life without some kind of plan. I've got goals too, ya know."

"Maybe, but we both know that a large percent of the time you follow your gut and act without really thinking about your next move. Though the times that you do come up with plans in the middle of battle is terrifyingly scary, especially when not even someone like Maguro-san can't keep up." Zenkichi pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders, which was a little difficult with all of the different-sized gifts that many of the villagers and visitors, and several fangirls, had given to Naruto, who had become a celebrity after saving the world. Naruto was holding a few gifts himself that were handing off his arm, but thanks to only having one arm available it was extremely difficult for him so Zenkichi offered to carry most of the load, dismissing his fellow blonde offer to create Shadow Clones. All those assignments for the Student Council request box was really paying off. "Not that it's a bad thing. There have been plenty of times when I envied how you resolve situations that way, just like during that time when Medaka-chan and I faced off against Miyakonojou and his **Weighted Words**."

"… That guy was an asshole back then. I still can't believe it when you guys told me about how much he's changed since then." Naruto muttered before looking up at the sky with a melancholy expression, "Following my gut has always helped me out in the past, though I guess learning so much under Ero-Sennin played a large role in that too."

Zenkichi's gaze drifted to the road beneath them at the mention of the perverted hermit, "It's hard to believe that it's almost been a year already since he was killed by Nagato. I find it even crazier to hear that you actually had to fight the guy again during the Fourth Great Shinobi War along with all those other Shinobi that had been resurrected. You and the Shinobi Alliance literally had to fight reanimated corpses."

"It was a crazy experience, that's for sure… But it wasn't all bad…" Memories of fighting alongside Itachi, the Hokages, and especially his father, Minato, flashed through his mind. A large grin formed on his face as he recalled another memory, one that he would treasure for the rest of his life.

**~(Flashback)~**

_"So let me get this straight… The Elemental Nations are about to go to war against this Madara Uchiha guy that was leading the Akatsuki from the shadows, and they sent you off to 'study the ecology of Kumogakura's hidden island' while the other villages are getting ready?"_

Letting out a sigh as he turned his body to face the **Waterfalls of Truth**, Naruto could hear the familiar tone in Zenkichi's voice through his cellphone's speaker. "Yeah. Apparently they think that I'd actually buy that cover-story mission and not realize that they're just hiding the remaining Jinchūriki away so the Akatsuki doesn't find us."

The blonde could hear the sounds of the phone on the other side of the line moving before Medaka's voice spoke up, _"It is a smart plan, especially if this island can't be found by any other person besides those from Kumo. I'm surprised they allowed you to have access to your cellphone while you are there."_

_"Well, it is still a new piece of technology. So given how much Shinobis need to remain undetected, I doubt that there are ways track down the signal of the call… But it is still risky with how much the Akatsuki want to capture you and that other guy."_

"I know, I just… wanted to talk with you guys one more time before Octopops and I continue my training…" Naruto replied as his gazed shifted from the water crashing down into the pond to Killer B and Yamato, who was silent as they waited for Naruto to finish his conversation. On the waterfall was a hidden cave where the **Tailed Beast Temple** was located, and where he would be sealed away while coming face to face with Kyuubi in battle. "Heh… It's too bad that Hitomi-obachan isn't with you guys. She always did have a way of easing the situation whenever we had challenges to face and supporting us."

_"Naruto… Why-"_

_"Why are you talking like you might not make it through it alive?"_ Zenkichi was interrupted by Medaka, the concern evident in their voices after hearing Naruto's words. _"You're sounding just like Zenkichi did during his battle with Kumagawa right before he destroyed the flooring."_

A small smirk formed on Naruto's face before speaking, "Really? Damn, hate to make it sound like I was being a copycat." His bad attempt at humor was met with a silent response as neither of his childhood friends had found the terrible joke amusing. His expression turned serious as his free hand clenched into a tight fist, "Don't worry, you two… I have no plans on dying. The next phase involves me harnessing Kyuubi's power, so it'll be risky if we don't do this right."

_"You said the next phase. What exactly did you have to do before?"_

Naruto went silent at Zenkichi's question, memories of confronting his true self, Dark Naruto, when he meditated in front of the waterfall earlier. The other version of his spouting out all of Naruto's doubts, his anger towards the Konoha villagers on how they used to treat him and how they suddenly changed their opinions of him, and even his secret frustrations towards his friends from the Six Continents.

**"Heh! You always talk about how you treasure our friendship with Zenkichi, but we've always been jealous of the fact he still has a mother that cherishes him and has Medaka-_chan_ beside him while you lived in that crappy apartment by yourself. And let's not forget about Medaka-_chan_, going on and on about how she loves everybody. We confessed our feelings to her and she still divides her love between us and Zenkichi with a smile on her face. That's always what made her so… infuriating!"**

_'Maybe I do have some envy that Zenkichi could experience the love of a parent every day. I was so happy when I was able to meet my dad, who encouraged and believes in me to find a way to break the cycle of hatred. While I don't know who my real mom is, or what she thought about me becoming the Kyuubi's_ _Jinchūriki, having someone like Hitomi-obachan there for me whenever she could is enough to know what having a parent feels like.' _Naruto thought to himself, closing his eyes as memories of times when Hitomi comforted him when he was sad or scolded him when he did something bad/stupid. _'I knew from the beginning that forming a romantic relationship between just the two of us was going to be a challenge, and while it may be frustrating at time, it's because of her abnormal personality that I fell for Medaka-chan in the first place…'_

_"Naruto… Naruto!"_

The blonde Shinobi snapped out of his thoughts at Zenkichi's shout, "Let's just say… I had to get a good look at myself and accepted who I was, both the good and the bad."

Medaka could be heard humming to herself as she processed Naruto's words. _"So… it was a matter of finding inner peace?"_

"Yeah. It hard to put into words, but… I feel like my soul is lighter now. Kind of like how I felt back then when I used that strange form I used back then."

_"Wait, are you talking about that golden form when you and I fought against Medaka II?"_

_"I still find it odd that you both talk about my brainwashing like I was a different person."_

_"Well, that's what the brainwashed you called herself. And weren't you the one who said that she was someone that you would never be?"_

_"True. So what is the next phase to using that Yellow Fox mode?"_

Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the Abnormal's title for harnessing the Kyuub's power, "There is no way in hell I'm calling it that."

_"Flaming Chakra Beast?"_

"Don't think so."

_"Golden Naruto!"_

"Hmmm…"

This time it was Zenkichi who turned it down, _"Nope. Sounds way to arrogant and egotistical. Something that a villain with an inferiority complex would give themselves so they can sound more important than the main character in a manga."_

"I guess I'll just have to think of something later." Seeing the truth behind his childhood friend's words, the smile on the whiskered blonde's face faded as he turned to see B crossing his arms with a serious look on his face. Looks like he could postpone it any longer. "I've got to get going now. Time to face the Kyuubi."

_"Are… Are you really going to fight that thing just to harness its power?"_ Zenkichi asked in worry in his voice, especially since it was dangerous to go head-to-head with the strongest of the nine Tailed Beasts. He still remembered the condition Naruto had been after his battle with Gaara and Shukaku during the Sand/Sound Invasion. The power of the Ichibi alone had be devastating enough and nearly killed everyone in the area and probably the village if it hadn't been for Gamabunta, and disrupting Gaara's** Play Possum Jutsu**.

"While part of me hopes that that won't happen, I know it is something that can't be avoided." Naruto admitted as he recalled B's explanation on what would happen once he sealed up the room inside the temple. "A part of me is a little nervous about something going wrong… There's still so much I want to do."

_"YOU CAN DO IT! I HAVE FAITH IN YOU!"_

Naruto couldn't help but move his phone away from his ear as he heard Medaka's shout of encouragement loudly coming from the speaker. Before the blonde could reply, his other childhood friend spoke up as well.

_"As soon as the Elemental Nations gives the all-clear on the war being over and that it's safe to travel, you can bet the two of us will be the first ones coming to see you! We'll go out and celebrate with some Ichiraku Ramen! So you better not be in the hospital when we get there!"_

There was no 'what ifs' to their words. No what could happen. They had complete faith in him coming out of this alive. Plans were already being made for after the war. That's how it has always been for the three of them.

"… Guys… Thanks… I can't wait to see you!"

And frankly, that was all Naruto needed at that moment.

**(Inside of Naruto's Seal)**

**"… So… You've finally arrived…"**

"Hey." Naruto greeted as he opened his eyes to see the nine-tailed fox staring back at him with the usual heated stare. "Giving me quite the evil glare. As usual."

**"I don't sense the real you. Where did he go?"**

Feeling his body lift itself into the air, Naruto started to reach out his right hand as he got closer to the paper tag over the seal's gate. "I'm right in front of you… Kurama."

Kurama's eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto reached the center of the gate, **"That bastard Hachibi. He and his Jinchūriki told you my name, did they?"**

"Only because I heard him call his tailed beast by his true name, Gyūki." Naruto explained, a small smile forming on the blonde's face as he grabbed the corner of the paper seal. "While I am happy to find out you've got a name, I feel a little guilty too. You should've been the one to tell me when you were ready… Sorry."

**"Hmph! As if I care about some human's apology. Such weakness is unbecoming of someone who is _MY_ Jinchūriki! That's pitiful!"**

The blonde gritted his teeth as he shook his head, pulling off the paper with ease. "I'm not trying to pity you or anything, ya know! You've been inside me long enough to see I'm not like that." Bringing up his other hand to the bottom of his Chūnin vest and jacket, Naruto lifted them both up to reveal the **Tetragram Seal** on his stomach as the key to the seal left to him by Jiraiya and his father. "You know why I'm here, right?"

**"You intend to control my power, but can you withstand my hatred?!"** Kurama shouted as it rose off the floor as Naruto moved the glowing hand-key over his seal. **"Do you really believe I'll surrender to you so easily?"**

"Honestly… not even close. But I'd rather the two of us work together against that Madara asshole. As for that hatred of yours… I'll do something about that as well! I'll prove myself to be a worth Jinchūriki and partner! Just like Octopops and Gyūki!" With a jerk of Naruto's hand, the seal undid itself and in turn unlocked the gate separating him and the Tailed Beast.

Once the final mechanism on the lock coming undone, Kurama reared a claw back before striking the gate that had imprisoned him for so long. With the iron bars slamming open, Naruto retreated back quickly as the giant fox let out a roar that was filled with the beast's chakra. **"Very well! Show me your resolve, Naruto! Give this battle everything you've got or else I will rip you to shreds!" **

_"Now that the Kyuubi is outta the seal, this Chakra Tug-of-War is all about how much of it you can steal!" _B's voice echoed throughout the underground complex that made up Naruto's mindscape, one of the Hachibi's tentacles emerging from one of the nearby walls and latching onto Kurama's body, causing a transparent version of the Kyuubi to form. Meanwhile, the same was happening with Naruto as a ghost-like, eyeless copy appeared behind him. _"Once you've connected your chakra to it's chakra, keep pulling at it until you've got your fill and then take even more, son." _

**"TCH! Don't even think about interfering with our battle, Hachibi!"** Kurama roared as he destroyed the octopus tentacles wrapped around him with a jerk of his body. Posing his nine tails near his mouth, Kurama stood on its hind legs as it channeled positive and negative balls of chakra into a single point. **"You and your Jinchūriki have no business with coming between us! I'd rather destroy the brat here and now then see something as pitiful as him accepting assistance from a creature weaker than myself!"**

**_"Looks like that arrogant fox hasn't changed one bit."_** Gyūki's voice spoke up as Naruto watched the tiny balls come together to form a dark, almost-black, ball of concentrated chakra before it compressed even further and shrank to the size of the Shinobi's body. **_"I'm gonna give you one piece of advice Naruto, don't let yourself get caught in the Kyuubi's hatred. Maintain an unbendable resolve to fight it off. Out of all of us Tail Beasts, he's got the most tainted amount of hatred and other negative emotions, even more than Shukaku's instability."_**

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I've experienced that too." Naruto replied with a weak smirk as he watched Kurama chomp down on the black sphere, before spinning around and trying to escape the giant blast he was sure to be coming any second.

The blonde wasn't disappointed as Kurama's mouth snapped open and all of the condensed Chakra was released, destroying the remains of the gate and cracking the nearby wall as the attack rushed towards Naruto. But luck was on Naruto's side as the remains of B and Gyūki's Chakra take form in the shape of the Hachibi's hand, which intercept the Chakra bomb and clench tightly onto it.

_"This is all we can do for ya, kid."_ B's voice rang out as the hand morphed into a smaller version Hachibi head with the **Tailed Beast Bomb **detonating in its mouth, _"Hope you're great at gambling because this will be an all or nothing bid!"_

"I'll be fine! Thanks for the help, ya know!" Naruto replied as he brought his hands together to form a Hand Seal, while at the same time, orange pigments formed on his eyelids and his eye changed into ones similar to a toad's. '_My real body is sitting completely still back in the room. Which means I have access to **Senjutsu** as much as I want.'_

**"And with that, this battle narrows down to the two of us."** Kurama stated with narrow eyes as the miniature Hachibi head that had intercepted his **Tailed Beast Bomb** exploded from the inside before crumbling away. Hearing a familiar sound that he knew all too well coming from above him, the Kyuubi looked up to see a Sage Mode Naruto hovering above his head with a massive Rasengan in hand.

"Take this! **Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!**" With a swing of his arm, Naruto dove down at the Kyuubi with the chakra sphere swung in front of him.

Three of Kurama's tails suddenly positioned themselves above the Tailed Beast and blocked the massive Rasengan before it could connect, surprising Naruto as he saw the amused look on Kurama's face as its tails easily held the powerful Jutsu back. With a jerk of the multiple appendages, the Rasengan was destroyed and sent Naruto flying back. Luckily the blonde quickly regained his balance just in time as more of Kurama's tails came flying at him to strike him down, but thanks to the enhanced reflexes he received thanks to Sage Mode, Naruto was able to evade each one of the tails as he rose higher into the air and supposedly out of Kurama's reach.

**"Not bad. But your reflexes alone won't be enough!"** Kurama shouted as his speed increased as he temporarily vanished from Naruto's sight, though the Shinobi's sensory ability picked up the Kyuubi's presence coming behind him in time to spin around as one of Kurama's claws came swinging down and colliding with his torso before smashing him into the floor, pinning him down. **"You're not even close to my level!"**

"Tch! You might be a being made up of chakra, but your body is still based off any living creature… Which means…!" Unclenching his fists to open his palms with his fingers lightly curled as he ignored the pain of being crushed against the ground, Naruto delivered two powerful strikes to two specific spots of Kurama's claw, sending ripples of **Natural Energy** throughout the giant fox's body that pushed the claw off of him. **"Double Frog Slap!"**

**"GRRAAAAAAH!?"** Kurama roared as the ripples became painful, giving his Jinchūriki plenty of time to use the retracting claw as a springboard to leap away from the threatening limb several times his size. Staring down at his steaming claw, Kurama snapped his gaze towards Naruto as he landed several yards away. **"You aimed for one of the pressure points in my claw… Hmph, it seems you did learn something from those other brats."**

"Heh. My whole life has been like that. Ever since I met Medaka-chan and Zenkichi, I've grown, learned and did everything I could to make sure I wasn't left behind."

Lowering his healed claw to the ground, Kurama shifted his stance as he prepared for a lunge, **"Do you honestly think that you can defeat me and take control of my power? Don't forget that I've been inside you for your entire life. I know all of your tricks."**

"I wouldn't have broken the seal if I didn't think so… And if you really do know my abilities," A confident smirk formed on Naruto's face midsentence as he kept his gaze locked with Kurama's… until the giant fox felt something grab onto two of his tails behind him and snapped his head back to see two more Sage Mode Narutos grabbing onto their respective tails.

""You should've remembered my original signature Jutsu, ya know!"" Both Naruto's shouted as they their enhanced strength to lift Kurama into the air by his tails before throwing him into the ground with a loud crashing sound echoing as soon as his back made contact.

**_'He must've created Shadow Clones during the Hachibi and his Jinchūriki's intervention! Then that means he switched with a clone as well, which means…'_** As if on cue, the Naruto standing in the distance dispersed in a puff of smoke, though Kurama's attention was focused on the air above him where the original Naruto and a **Shadow Clone **had a large, Senjutsu-enhanced, **Rasenshuriken** spinning above his head. **"Just as I thought!"**

"**Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!**" Naruto called out as he threw the S-Rank Jutsu at the Kyuubi, who reared its head back slightly, "What the-?!"

A loud roar erupted from Kurama's mouth and created a shockwave that collided with Naruto's Rasenshuriken**,** pushing back against the **Wind Release Jutsu** long enough for it to detonate before it could make contact with his body. The wind vortex created from the detonation, however, still reached the Kyuubi and still dealt damage to its torso and arms. Kurama felt the pain created by the only for a few moments before the Rasenshuriken's vortex begin to dissipate and tilted his head towards the two Narutos were while raising his body up, only for his eyes to widen in shock as he caught sight of a second shuriken-like Jutsu to be seen coming towards him. **"He used the Shadow Shurken Jutsu to hide a second one?!"**

Charging up another massive Rasengan, Naruto slammed it into the center of the Rasenshuriken just as it slammed into Kurama's body and caused both Jutsus to explode in a gigantic sphere of wind blades and Natural Energy. The shockwave from the combined blasts sent the blonde flying back with several spins before crashing to the floor, though this didn't fold Naruto down for too long as he rose back to his feet with his chakra double appearing behind him. Seeing the nine-tailed fox's body be almost completely covered in a gigantic vortex except for its tails, the Jinchūriki saw his chance and sped towards one of the tails before allowing his double to get a solid grip on Kurama's chakra. The tug-of-war between the two began.

Taking a few steps back to get some distance from the Kyuubi as the vortex faded away, Naruto took immediate notice to struggling and failing to get back up, using its paws to keep itself from falling back. _'It might not be much, but I've definitely weakened him. Now's the best chance to pull out the chakra…?!'_ Naruto's eyes widened as he felt something change within the chakra he was taking from Kurama, the blue energy changing to a corrupted reddish-black color that quickly incased Naruto's chakra double.

**"Did you really think you could withstand my hatred just because you've accepted your own?"** Kurama questioned with a sneer.

_'I hate them...'_

_'I want to kill em all!'_

_'Why am I the **one who suffers?'**_

**_'Loneliness.'_**

**_'I'll get my revenge!'_**

Falling to his knees as he felt Kurama's hatred and the dark voices echo through his head, not even noticing as his Sage Mode fade away and his double start to be pulled towards Kurama. "I don't… get it… I was able to… handle it back… then…!"

**"You can't control my power, especially if you have no idea how you did it the first time. My hatred will not be snuffed out by a puny human like you."** Kurama stated as he continued to pull Naruto's chakra towards him, slowly, inch by inch.

**_"He's the one, right?"_**

**_"The freak!"_**

_'… ru…'_

**_"Get away!"_**

**_"No one wants you around!"_**

_'… on't… gi… up…'_

**_"Go away!"_**

**_"Go the hell away!"_**

Tears built up in Naruto's eyes as the angry voices continue to shout through his head, feeling the negativity building up inside of him, one of his eyes becoming corrupt like his darker half. "I… don't… want to go…"

"It's all right, Naruto. You can stay right here… you don't have to go anywhere." The blonde's eye reopened at the new voice, this one gentle and reassuring, and saw that he was in the same area that he had been in when he had talked with his father. But instead of the Yondaime, standing in front of him was a beautiful woman with long red hair and amethyst eyes, and a warm, familiar smile on her face as she stared back at him.

"Who are...you...?" Naruto questioned as took in the woman's appearance and the area surrounding them. "How do you know my name? Where did you come from anyways? I was in the middle of fighting Kurama."

"I suppose it makes sense that you don't…" With the smile still on her face, the woman tilted her head a little, "Well then… Why don't you try guessing who I am, Naruto?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes a little bit as he leaned in a little closer to get a good look at the woman, surprising her a little bit as he started circling around her with crossed arms before coming to a stop in front of her. "… Could you...be...?"

"So, have you finally figured it out?" The redhead asked with a soft giggle.

"Why the hell did you take a female human form, Kurama? Did you really think I would let my guard down for a pretty lady?! I'm not Ero-Sennin!" The only response Naruto received was laughter as the woman held her sides at Naruto's assumption. "I knew it! That's no human laugh! Don't think that-"

"THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE, YA KNOW?!" The woman shouted as she bonked the top of Naruto's head with an angry look.

"Gah!" Holding his throbbing head, a thought occurred to Naruto as he repeated what she had just said. "Hold on… ya know?"

He watched as the woman rub the back of her head with a sheepish look on her face… a very familiar action he knew all too well. "Sorry about that. Got a little carried away there…" A weak smile formed on her face as she opened one of her eyes to look at him, "It's been like that ever since I was a little. I've always been impatient and tend to talk a little fast, and sometime weird things tends to come out when I get excited or angry. Growing up, it's been easier for me to control, but sometimes my mouth moves faster than my thoughts." Shaking her head with a small bit of redness on her cheeks, the woman motioned a hands towards Naruto. "But let's talk about you, huh? I always hoped you wouldn't inherit my weird verbal quirks and get your father's cool, collected head."

"… Then… you're…" Naruto's eyes widened as he began to piece together what the woman was saying.

"Minato really didn't tell you anything? Shame on that man." The redhead continued to smile at him as she introduced herself, "That's right. I'm your-?!"

With a trembling lips, Naruto rushed in and brought the woman into a tight hug before she could finish her sentence. Now he knew why her smile was so familiar. It was the same kind of look that Hitomi would give him and Zenkichi… The kind of smile that was filled with endless love and support. "You have no idea… how long… I've wanted to meet you… Mom… ya know?"

"You said "ya know"… You really are my son." Kushina could feel her smile grow as she wrapped her arms around her son's back, "The last time I saw you, you were only an hour old… Now look at you, almost as tall as your father… How old are you now?"

"I'm gonna turn seventeen… in a few months."

"Almost seventeen years, huh?" This time the smile on her face lessened, until she felt her son release her from the hug and pulled back with a large smile on his face.

"There is so much that I wanted to ask you if I ever got the chance, ya know!"

Kushina couldn't help but giggle at the excited look on Naruto's face, "Sure, you can ask me anything you want… But first, we need to calm the Kyuubi down enough for us to talk."

Watching as his mother turned her head a little to stare off in a certain direction, a worried look formed on Naruto's face. "Hey, you're not gonna injure Kurama too badly or anything, right?"

"You really seem to care about him. Don't worry," The redheaded Uzumaki replied as a small smirk formed on her face. "What I'm about to do won't even hurt him, just hold him down for a bit. I know all too well how powerful he truly is."

**(Meanwhile)**

Back in the area where Naruto's other 'body' was still locked in a Chakra tug-of-war with Kurama, the blonde Shinobi's face scrunched up as his upper body lifted up before bending backwards a bit. Kurama was caught by surprise as several golden chains shot from his Jinchūriki's body, flying towards him and wrapping his arms and legs, as well as his tails, pinning the massive fox to the watery surface under him. **"I recognize this chakra… Is that you, Kushina?"**

**(Back with Naruto and Kushina)**

Now free to talk, both Naruto and his mother sat down next to each other, the former continuing to smile brightly as his mother spoke. "Minato imbedded my chakra into the formula of your seal, so I could help you when you tried to harness the Kyuubi's power one day. Though I honestly never expected you to try and form a bond with it."

"Heh heh heh..."

Seeing the look on her son's face, Kushina leaned in a little closer with a raised eyebrow, "Are you even listening?"

"Sorry, it's just… I'm really lucky that my mom is so beautiful!" Naruto apologized while rubbing under his nose.

"Oh…! Well, thank you!" Kushina said happily at the compliment, also remembering how her son had said something earlier that was similar when he thought she was a human form of the Kyuubi. "You got your hair from your father, but I'm sorry you ended up with my face, Naruto."

"Why? If my mom's good looking, and I got your looks, then that makes me handsome, right?" Naruto pointed out as he looked up at the 'sky' with a thinking pose and a hand under his chin. "I just wish I got your awesome straight, red hair!"

Naruto saw the nostalgic look on her face as she looked upwards as well, "You're the second person to ever compliment me on my hair."

"Huh? Who was the first?"

"Your father... Who else?" Kushina answered almost immediately before seeing the slightly surprised look on Naruto's face, "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" A grin formed on Naruto's face as he rubbed the back of his head, "I guess that is something I inherited from him, cause I said something similar when I was younger."

"Oh really? Does that mean you have a girlfriend?"

"It's a complicated situation, but I do have feelings for her. Her name is Medaka-chan, she's from the Six Continents. She and my other best friend, Zenkichi, are from a country from one of the Continents known as Asia." Naruto clarified to the older Uzumaki.

Kushina blinked in recognition at his words, "The Six Continents? Oh, I remember there were some peace talks between us and people outside of the Elemental Nations before you were born. I'm guessing they were successful then. I'm glad, I had made some interesting friends from my visit there."

"You've been to the Six Continents?" Naruto asked with a stunned expression, "I thought that there hadn't been any contacts between the two until the World Peace Treaty was in the works."

"Don't forget that your father was the Hokage, so he was one of the influential figures when everything was taking place. As his wife and a powerful S-Rank Kunoichi assigned as one of his Shinobi Guards, I traveled with him to Japan when the initial meetings were taking place." Kushina explained with a proud look before watching as her son reached into his back ninja pouch and pulled out a photograph, which he was glad to see materialized in this weird area as well, and held it out to Kushina. Taking the photograph from her son, Kushina took a look at the image and saw that it had her son and two other teenagers with him. "I'm guessing these are the friends you were talking about?"

"That's right!" Naruto replied as he pointed down at the photograph, which had been taken back when Medaka and her group had visited Konoha after the attack on the village. He had taken it with him as a memento to remember that he wasn't just fighting for the future of the Elemental Nations, but for his friends in the Six Continents.

The photograph had been taken during a break between one of Naruto and Zenkichi's sparring sessions, with the two resting against a large tree with equal exhausted looks on their faces. Naruto was wearing his usual ninja gear without his orange and black jacket, while Zenkichi was wearing white loose training pants, a blue jersey and blue sneakers. Standing over the two of them with a smile on her face and two water canteens in each hand, was Medaka, who was dressed in a hot-red, low-cut sleeveless kimono-style blouse that displayed her sizeable cleavage, mess armor, and matching apron skirt over tight black shorts and open-toed, strappy black sandals with high heels. The Abnormal hair tied her hair with two orange strings at two points of her hair and a white scarf tied around her neck. It had been another one of Medaka's **_ingenious _**ideas to dress the part of a Kunoichi while she was using the Training Grounds. Luckily, Naruto and Zenkichi managed to keep her from going with the more daring outfit she had seen in the window, which was extremely revealing and mostly used by Kunoichi specialized in… special missions.

Kushina couldn't help but notice the large smiles on each of the teenagers' faces as they conversed, not even realizing that the photo had been taken. "They look like wonderful friends, and Medaka is very beautiful. Although…"

"If it's about the outfit, don't let it fool you. Medaka is just proud of her body and simply wanted to dress like a ninja while we trained a bit. She's actually very kind, powerful, and REALLY smart!" Naruto said as he knew that people who didn't know Medaka personally could be thrown off by the Abnormal.

"Oh, it's not that… Her face just looks like an old friend of mine. A nurse that I had met when your father and I had traveled to the Six Continents. Her husband was actually one of the people that Minato had met with while they were getting all of the other countries in Asia to agree to the treaty." Kushina couldn't help but giggle as she handed the photograph back to Naruto, "It was a little hard to get along with her at first, but eventually we managed to become friends. She was actually the one who noticed the signs that I was in my early stages of pregnancy with you, though I went to our village's hospital to double check. I always wondered what happened to her since she was actually pregnant as well."

"What was her name?"

"Well, her original surname was Tsurubami, but she had changed it to Hato Kurokami after getting married."

"Hato… Kurokami?!" Naruto had a shocked look on his face, "T-That's the name of Medaka-chan's mom, ya know!?"

"Huh? Seriously?! What an amazing twist of fate!" Kushina said with an amazed look, "So does that mean you've met her? How's she doing after all this time? I bet she's still the extreme workaholic even after all of these years, ya know!"

"… She died… a long time ago… According to Medaka-chan, it happened just after the delivery happened and she had a heart attack after hearing Medaka-chan's first cries…"

A somber expression appeared on Kushina's face at that, turning her head away to look at the ground. "I see… That's a shame. I never got to thank her for all the pregnancy advice she had given me. But at least you and her daughter got to meet, and you both are close friends to boot!"

"… Oh! That's right! I can't believe I forgot!" Bopping a fist into his open palm, Naruto turned to his mother with an excited look. "There's been one question I've always wanted to ask you if I got the chance, Mom!"

Blinking in confusion at the change in topic, Kushina replied with a tilted head. "Oh, and what's that?"

"How did you and Dad fall in love?"

"Ah~! That's an embarrassing thing to ask, ya know!" The older Uzumaki replied as a flush formed over her cheeks, turning her head away with a smile.

"Hey, you just said 'ya know'! You're excited!" Naruto pointed out with a knowing look.

Kushina turned to her son with a small pout, "More like getting flustered instead of excited, ya know!"

"You said it again! Hahaha~!" Both mother and son shared a laugh at his words, before a silence fell upon them. Naruto remained that way as he listened to his mom's story, about how she came from a different village, how she was treated because of her looks and how she fought back, the day she was captured by enemy ninjas from Kumogakure, and how his father saved her.

"Minato didn't just save me, he was the man who made me realize my red hair was my red thread of fate that connected the two of us. He became the one that I knew would make me the happiest woman in the world. The man I fell in love with." Kushina concluded her story with a warm smile on her face, one that grew as she turned to see her smiling son enjoying her tale. "Naruto. There are only a two men who get to hear these precious words from me, especially after complimenting my hair… Will you accept them?"

"Precious words? Sure. What are they?" A smiling Naruto asked.

"I love you."

It took Naruto a few seconds to realize what the woman had just said, but he suddenly felt a strong warmth overtake him as his gaze went to the ground. _'This feeling… I've never felt so… happy!'_

"That is the true secret to overcoming the Kyuubi's hatred." Kushina explained as she reached a hand out and placed it on the back of Naruto's head, undoing his headband while bringing his head closer to her while tilting her head up. The warmth and peaceful feelings going throughout Naruto's body only grew as he felt Kushina's lips gently press against his forehead. Pulling away from her son, Kushina continued to smile brightly. "It might be difficult, but if a Jinchūriki if filled with love, then you will have nothing to fear."

"Love? Is that really all it takes…? I'm not sure if I…"

"Don't ever think you are unlovable. Even if we aren't with you physically, both Minato and I love you with everything we are and will ever be. But we aren't the only ones," Kushina once again brought Naruto close and held him in a motherly embrace, "You've felt it before, haven't you?"

_"I've acknowledged him as… one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker… and he is clumsy and no one accepts him… but he already knows the pain inside peoples' hearts. He isn't the demon fox. He is a citizen of Konohagakure. He's Naruto Uzumaki!"_ … Iruka-sensei

_"Even if we can't make it official, you are my son as well, Naruto. I love you as much as I do Zenkichi."_ …Hitomi-obachan.

_"We're more than best friends, we're brothers! I will always be there for you!"_ …Zenkichi.

_"I love you Naruto! You are one of the two most precious people in my life!"_ …Medaka-chan.

_"I have faith in you. To be a parent is to have undying faith in one's child. I'm counting on you… Naruto!"_ …Dad.

_"I love you."_ …Mom.

**(Back in the Seal)**

_"I love you."_

Kurama watched with a narrowed gaze as Naruto suddenly started to rise to his feet, a smile forming on the blonde's face as he seemed to be thinking about something. Naruto could hear Kushina's words repeating over and over in his head. A sudden rush of energy surged through Naruto as he let out a shout, the corrupted chakra connecting him and Kurama turning back to the pure blue color it was previously, before the connection snapped and turned yellow as it was absorbed into the Shinobi's body.

**_'You did something, didn't you? Damn you, Kushina!'_** Kurama thought to himself as he felt the chains around him loosen and allowed the giant fox to return to a seated position.

Taking a deep breath, a confident look returned on Naruto's face as he shifted his stance, "Time for round 2, Kurama!"

_"The chakra I'm using to suppress the Kyuubi won't last that much longer!"_ Kushina's voice was heard in Naruto's head as he started running towards Kurama, the image of her pumping her fist flashing through his mind. _"This is your best chance! Take him down!"_

"Yes, ma'am!** Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" Crossing his fingers in his signature hand seal, Naruto channeled as much chakra as he could as dozens of clones formed around him, all of them joining their original in his charge. "Here we go!"

Reaching towards the main **Chakra Chains** wrapped against his chest, Kurama got a solid grip on them before yanking hard on them, causing them to break off. **"You brat!"**

_"Just as strong as I thought it'd be!"_

**"Rasengan Super Barrage!"**

The massive fox let out a roar as the swarm of Narutos leapt into the air, all of them creating Rasengans in their hands while they drew nearer. Lashing out with his massive claw, Kurama destroying several clones easily just as they as got within range, the remaining chains loosening greatly and let him return to his full height. Naruto and the bunch of clones that remained slammed their Rasengans into Kurama's arm and exposed torso, causing the fox to let out another roar from the pain before bringing back his other arm to strike.

**"Don't underestimate me!"**

_"Forgetting about me? You should know that I'm not letting you go that easily, ya know!"_

With her words ringing out, Kurama felt the chains snagged around one of his hind legs pull hard on him, causing him to stumble backwards. Doing his best to regain his balance, Kurama let out a growl, **"Even after all these years, you continue to shackle me down, blasted woman!"**

"Don't go insulting my Mom!" One of the Naruto's shouted as he and two others were seen diving towards Kurama, dodging his incoming claw before all three of them flipping forward just as they were about to land. Getting a good look at the trio, Kurama instantly took notice to the fact that Naruto's eyes had changed, signaling his successful activation of his Sage Mode. "Sorry, but I'm gonna be borrowing one of your moves, Zenkichi! **Quaking Stomp: Toad Sage Style!"**

As all three Narutos slammed their feet into the floor, ripples of Natural Energy spreading from all three blondes and caused the entire area to shake as if an earthquake were occurring. Kurama could feel the ground beneath him move about erratically and finish what the chains started, throwing the giant fox of balance and make him fall backwards. Crashing into the wet surface, the Kyuubi barely had time to lift himself up with his long arms before catching sight of Naruto and even more of his Sage Mode Shadow Clones hovering above him with each one wielding a Senjutsu-powered Rasengan in their hands. But the Narutos weren't finished as they poured even more of the **Natural Chakra** they had collected into the spinning orbs of Chakra, making them increase dramatically in size until the collection of gigantic spheres practically blocked any signs of the piped ceiling above their heads.

Meeting Kurama's gaze, Naruto's toad-like eyes flashed with determination as he and his clones flew towards their Tailed Beast. "Try it blocking this one! **Sage Art: Massive Rasengan Barrage!**"

All of the Naruto's Massive Rasengans slammed their gigantic Rasengans into the downed beast one after the other and sent the howling fox sailing backwards with each painful impact. Feeling the attack soon come to an end, Kurama managed to regain his sense of balance and landed on all fours even as his body continued to slide backwards, only for his eyes to widen as he saw at least six large ropes of his chakra had been grabbed by many of Naruto's Shadow Clones and were being pulled out of his body. **"While you little… Damn it! I won't lose, Naruto!"**

With a fully formedRasenshuriken in hand, Naruto look two powerful leaps forward as Kurama struggled to keep his chakra from being stolen. The Kyuubi saw this, however, and quickly channeled another **Tailed Beast Bomb**, this one much smaller than his earlier one, and chomped down on the concentrated chakra. But just before he could release the blast, Kurama suddenly felt a powerful impact against his throat and cause his head to tilt upward, sending the **Tailed Beast Bomb's** attack towards the ceiling above. Glancing downwards despite the pain, Kurama caught sight of a grinning Shadow Clone striking at his neck with an outstretched arm, "Borrowing one of Medaka-chan's moves now! **Sage Art: Uzumaki Lariat!"**

The force of the Senjutsu-filled attack had stunned Kurama and gave the original Naruto plenty of time to close in and make contact with his Rasenshuriken, which detonated upon impact. Feeling the grip he had on his vines of chakra slipping as Naruto pushed the massive wind vortex against him, Kurama couldn't believe the sudden burst in strength that his Jinchūriki had acquired out of nowhere. **_'Ju…!? Just what kind of power is this?!'_**

"I'M FINISHING THIS NOW!" With a powerful roar, Naruto used the last of his enhanced strength to send Kurama flying back, leaving a perfect chakra replica of it behind thanks to all of the Shadow Clones keeping a tight hold on it.

_"Alright, you managed to get the Kyuubi's Chakra!"_ Kushina cheered as Naruto's clones dispelled and her son pulled the large mass of chakra into himself.

Almost immediately, Naruto felt a familiar sensation coursing through his body as soon as the rest of Kurama's chakra was finished being absorbed. It was just like back when he went back to help Medaka and Zenkichi, only much stronger. Looking down at himself in awe, he saw a yellow-orange flame-like energy covering his entire body instead of flickering like before. The seal on his stomach was now visible with what look like extensions of it spreading all the way down his arms and legs, having two more whirlpool markings on his shoulders and full set of the magatamas around his neck. Feeling the top of his head, he could feel some of his hair had grown out longer and grouped together to look like horns.

"… This is it… This is definitely the form from before…" Naruto muttered to himself as he continued to take in his new look.

**"Naruto…"** Lifting up his head at the sound of Kurama's voice, the blonde's eyes widened slightly at how emaciated the Kyuubi looked. His body had lost a large amount of its muscle mass and its bones were clearly visible through its skin, not to mention how his eyes seemed to bulge and how roughed up Kurama's fur had become.

_'Did… Did me taking all that chakra really hurt him this badly?'_

**"So you've managed to take some of my power… But even so!"** Kurama roared while he reared his head back and started channeling chakra to create another **Tailed Beast Bomb**, the withered fox's body shriveling up even more as his eyes vanished and his lips disappeared around his mouth. **"Don't be so arrogant to think that I'll submit to the like of you!"**

"…You really are incredible. To still have so much power left." Naruto stated as he stared back at Kurama, whose attack was several times bigger than the beast itself, before reaching to his stomach where the seal was located… only to pause as he was about to reseal the Kyuubi away, and lowered his hand to his side. "… No, I won't send you back into the darkness…"

**"…?!"** Kurama said nothing as his eyes disappeared and reappeared as it halted in releasing the giant **Tailed Beast Bomb**.

Letting the energy covering his body fade, Naruto returned to normal as he looked down as his hand where the seal's key was located. To the shock of Kurama and Kushina, the blonde suddenly held out his hand above his head and a gigantic sphere of chakra formed above it… it was all the power that he had taken from Kurama. With a push of his hand the chakra floated closer to the frozen Kurama, who let his **Tailed Beast Bomb** slowly fade away as the sphere reached him. Reaching out one of his nine tails, the Kyuubi's appearance was restored as the mass of chakra was absorbed back into his body.

_"Naruto! What are you doing?! Giving back all that chakra after all that work to get it."_

Closing his eyes as he heard his mother question his actions, Naruto took in a deep breath. "Kurama… Have I proven myself to you, yet?"

**"… I suppose you did do well against me, even if you did get help from Kushina at the end. As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't expect anything less from my Jinchūriki-"**

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Naruto interrupted with a shout, catching Kurama by surprise as he watched the blonde clench his fists tightly while staring down at the floor between them. "I'm not trying to force you to do anything just because you're inside me! You have as much right to live and do what you want as much as I do, ya know!"

**"…!?"** Kurama said nothing in response as the heated stare in his eyes softened slightly.

_"You Tailed Beasts only exist to serve those of us with ocular power." Madara Uchiha stated as he stared up at Kurama, who was glaring back at the Uchiha. "Otherwise you're simply a mindless beast with unstable power."_

_"Forgive me, but I cannot leave you to your own devices." The Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju, said as he walked towards the defeated Kyuubi, who was being pinned down by his Wood Jutsu._

_Mito Uzumaki was looking up at Kurama, who was being restrained by the seal keeping him inside of her. "If your power is allow to roam free, you will bring hatred to the world."_

_"You and I both have terrible luck, that's for sure." Kushina let out a heavy sigh as she looked up from the ground towards Kurama, who was once again being chained up to a large boulder with spikes piercing various points of his body. "You exist to restrain the world from war, and I exist to restrain you from violence."_

**"… I always thought you'd end up just like the others…"** Kurama suddenly said, his tails lowering themselves to the floor as he watched Naruto lift his head with a confused expression. **"We Tailed Beast have been around before the people of this world even discovered chakra, and it was always the same… Different people, different words, but their intentions and what they thought of us never changed."**

Naruto couldn't help but think back to when he was younger, when villagers and Shinobi would talk bad about him or ignore his presence completely. "… Whether it is as a Jinchūriki or a Tailed Beast, people never saw us as ourselves… only what we were and how dangerous we could be." The hurtful memories didn't last long though as they were replaced with fun times that he was with Medaka and Zenkichi, being comforted by Hitomi when he was hurting or properly taught how to do something by Iruka, "All it takes is at least one person to see us, to know our name and show us how irreplaceable we really are. And that's why I was glad to find out your name, Kurama, because its means that I am one step closer to helping you. To becoming friends with you."

_'Naruto… To think that all that fear I had about you becoming a Jinchūriki and enduring the hardships that came with it, and it's helped you understand the Kyuubi on a level that I couldn't even acknowledge…'_ Kushina thought to herself as she stared at the Naruto standing with her as they watched the interaction between him and Kurama.

Making his way over to Kurama one step at a time, the blonde Shinobi soon reached the giant fox and came to a stop a few feet away. "I'm not asking you as just your Jinchūriki or someone that wants to use you… You aren't the demon fox any more… Kurama, please…" Naruto had a smile on his face as he continued, "Fight by my side as my partner! The partner of a Shinobi from Konohagakure and a citizen of the Elemental Nations!"

**"Hmph. I suppose you are more tolerable than Madara or whatever that Akatsuki member calls himself."** Kurama admitted as he closed his eyes in thought, **"Then again, you are a little too mushy and annoying at times."**

A twitch mark formed on Naruto's forehead at that, "HEY! I'M TRYING TO CONNECT WITH YA HERE! AND IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE COMMENTS ON EACH OTHER'S FAULTS, YOU CAN STAND TO SMILE MORE, YA KNOW… Huh?" The young Uzumaki didn't finish as he was suddenly face to face with Kurama's fist.

**"Hit your chakra against mine."** Kurama said as he looked down at Naruto, who had an uneasy smile on his face.

"Oh man, don't tell me we haveta do this all over again? We just went through all that crap."

A small smirk formed on Kurama's face at that, **"Don't be stupid. There's no reason for us to go through that again… Although, it's not like I have anything else going on and it could be a way to pass the time."**

"Nah, I think once was enough." Naruto replied as he slowly lifted up his fist before bumping it against Kurama's enormous claw. It only took a few seconds before a familiar sensation washed over Naruto, causing a smile to form on his face. "Hehehe!"

**"Heh!"** The blonde wasn't the only one smiling as Kurama's smirk shifted into a large, fanged smile. A bright yellow flash covered Naruto's body for a few seconds before taking shape into the form he had earlier… only this one had what resembled a full-length haori over his body and a few additional features. **"Now that is a form worthy of being my Jinchūriki."**

Staring down at his body and taking in the new changes, Naruto looked back up at Kurama with a slitted orange-red eyes. "We've got a lot of work to do and plenty of asses to kick! I'm glad to be workin' with you Kurama!"

**"Of course we do… But first, go back to Kushina. I am sure she has much more to tell you before her time is up."**

"… What did you just say?"

_"Yes, thank you… Kurama."_ Kushina's voice could be heard coming from all around them.

The giant fox only scoffed before plopping himself down before closing his eyes as his head rested on his paws, **"The sooner you are out of here, the more room I'll get with that cage no longer holding me in place."**

"You could be a little nicer to my mom, ya know." Naruto retorted as the chakra mode covering him dispersed and he felt his mind sync up with the body back where his mother was waiting for him to return. Reopening his eyes to Kushina's smiling face, Naruto couldn't find the strength to return it. "So… you really have to go?"

Reaching out a hand and resting it on Naruto's cheek, his mother nodded her head with the weak smile still on her face. "It's time that I followed your father to the afterlife. But before I do that, there is still a few things that I need to tell you… The truth about my past and what really happened the day you were born."

**~(Flashback End)~**

"… Hey Zenkichi?" Naruto suddenly spoke up.

"What's up?" Turning to his best male friend with a raised eyebrow, Zenkichi blinked in confusion at the smile on the whiskered-blonde's face. "What with that smile?"

"Moms are pretty awesome, aren't they?"

"Huh, yeah. I suppose so." The strawberry blonde had been a little thrown off by Naruto's statement, mentally confused about the out-of-nowhere comment. "It's too bad that Okaa-san couldn't come with us. Although I think Medaka-chan and I were lucky enough to get by with that giant crowd coming to see you."

"Ugh! Don't remind me! I like the praises and stuff, but now I understand why Sasuke did his best to avoid his fangirls. They're a stalking nightmare, ya know!" Naruto complained as a shiver went up his spin as he recalled the group of girls that tried to visit him in the hospital… and they were only the ones that lived in the village.

"That's pretty much true no matter where you live in the world. One time a few years back, Medaka-chan's shoe locker had been filled with letters from fanboys and fangirls, and actually piled up to her knees. I thought that kind of thing only happened in romantic comedies or anime." The worst part about that week was that Medaka had sent back replies to every single letter, even the ones that said they were secret admirers. So many hearts had been broken, while some actually got angry and tried to go after Zenkichi since they thought he had stolen Medaka away from them. Like he said, it wasn't a fun week. "But hey, at least all the gifts you got from everybody have been useful. We needed to get some supplies for your new place since most of the stuff your parents had were outdated. Getting all of the new gadgets, furniture and beds are a major improvement over the default equipment that was left there."

"… Yeah…" Naruto went silent as he remembered exploring the house and seeing some of the old photos of his parents that had been saved. It was a sad reminder of what could've been if Obito hadn't attack his parents after his mother had finished delivering him, but at least he got the chance to meet them. Twice in his father's case. "I was surprised that the builders had remade my dad's office in orange too! That was pretty cool, ya know!"

Zenkichi had a sly smirk on his face at that comment, "Knowing you. You'll probably keep that room intact even if you become Hokage, just because a lot of stuff in there is orange."

"Eh, probably. And it's not if, its when!" Mirroring the smirk on his best friend's face, the two shared a laugh as they continued down the street until they caught sight of the Uzumaki-Namikaze House, which was a two-story with round, red-tiled roofs, and had a big yard surrounding it with a Engawa porch and a stairway entrance in the front. Moving in front of Zenkichi since he was carrying the least amount of bag on his arm, Naruto went up the stairs and grabbed onto the doorknob, which, luckily for the two blondes, was unlocked.

"Medaka-chan! We're back!" Naruto called out as he opened the door and allowed Zenkichi to walk in first before following after him and closed the door.

Placing most of the bag on the porch of the genkan, Zenkichi sat down and began to remove his shoes before speaking up, "And don't worry! I made sure Naruto stayed for his lessons!"

"Come on Zenkichi! Did you really have to mention that?" Naruto whined as he plopped himself next to his male best friend and started to take his sandals off as well, having some difficulty with only one hand but still managed to accomplish the task.

"Of course I do." The strawberry blonde replied as he stood up straight while grabbing some of the gifts he had placed down, "Getting you to stay put and study is one of the most difficult challenges I've had to endure ever since we were younger."

"Well, I ain't that bad now! You know tha-"

"Naruto~! Zenkichi~! Welcome home~!" Medaka greeted the two from behind with a melodic tone, making both men turn to face her before freezing as they finally got a good look at the inside of the house and the girl who cleaned 17 years of dirt and grime in mere hours.

As expected of Medaka, the whole interior was so clean that everything was sparkling and reflecting off the floor. There was even a full feast of different culinary foods that could be seen on the dinner table that was visible through the opening in the wall with some of the dishes containing recipes that neither had seen before. But the thing that caught them by surprise the most wasn't the fact that Medaka was greeting them at the doorway similar to a wife welcoming her husband home, no, it was that fact that she was greeting them with only a blue apron and her white, lingerie panties.

"M-M-Medaka-chan…!?" Naruto let out a stutter as both blondes' faces turned red at the erotic and overwhelming sight in front of them.

"W-Why are you dressed like that?!" Zenkichi was in a similar condition as he did his best not to drop the few bag of gifts that he was holding in his arm. The sight in front of him and Naruto was something that hundreds of people would literally kill for such an opportunity, especially a certain Minus.

"Oh, this? What do you think?" Medaka asked with a smile as she lifted her hands up to the edges of the apron near her chest area, "It's a little plain except for the spiral, but your mother has some pretty decent aprons. It's very easy to work in."

"Even so… Why are you wearing a nude apron?!"

"Well, I couldn't get the dust and grim on my clothes, could I? I left my maid outfit back at the Academy since we rushed here. There was a lot of cleaning that needed to be done, not to mention cooking grease and oil are hard to get out." Medaka replied with a tone as if she was stating an obvious fact, something that made both boy nearly faceplant.

"That doesn't mean get naked!" Zenkichi shouted with a twitching eyebrow and a red face. Despite all the stunts and outfits that Medaka wore in the past, this was a new level even for the Kurokami girl. "I've already told you not to undress whenever you feel like it!"

"But I'm not naked. See?" Without any shame, Medaka lifted the lower half of the apron to put her panties on full display, this action made blood spill out of both Naruto and Zenkichi's noses as the sight in front of them turned even more erotic as Medaka's arms also put pressure on her braless breast under the apron. "Besides, when it comes to my body there is nothing to feel shame or hesitation about. I am quite proud of my figure!"

"Not the issue here, ya know!" Naruto shouted as he could practically hear Jiraiya's ghost whispering in his ear to take advantage of the situation and just enjoy the show. "Don't forget that there are two hot-blooded male teenagers staying here as well! You do know that any other guys wouldn't-"

"But you two aren't just any other men." Medaka interrupted as she let go of the apron with a warm smile on her face, "You two are the ones I cherish and trust the most in this world, so why should I be afraid of having my body exposed to the ones that will always be by my side?"

That threw both men for a loop as their blushes vanished and looked at Medaka with surprised looks. It was like the Abnormal to say something so simple and factually and yet held such passion that could leave others speechless. Glancing briefly at one another, the two let out a simultaneous sigh… before letting out low chuckles at the same time, confusing the girl as she tilted her head lightly while raising an eyebrow.

"Let's just get cleaned up and eat some dinner. After all that studying earlier, Medaka's home-cooked food sounds delicious right now." Naruto said with a grin as he used his only hand to rub the back of his head.

"Sounds good to me." Zenkichi replied with a small smile on his face as he placed all the gifts that they had gotten from the villagers and fans of Naruto's, onto the living room table. After that, it took them some effort but the two managed to convince Medaka to change back into actual clothes before they all gathered in the dining room to eat the delicious food that Medaka had made. This made a large smile appear on Naruto as he conversed with the two… in his mind, it was truly the perfect family dinner.

After staying with Naruto a few more weeks to help him to continue his studies after being promoted to Jōnin and help him with his new arm that was made from the cell of Hashirama Senju, the actual word being **forced** thanks to Medaka handcuff Naruto to her and a desk inside a classroom with Iruka, to which he cried out for Zenkichi for help only for his fellow blonde to end up chained to Medaka as well… The girl had a strange way of thinking. By the end of the third week, both Medaka and Zenkichi knew that they need to return home, although they were a little reluctant. It was only after Naruto assuring them that he would be fine, as well as reminding them of their own enemies they needed to defeat, that the two departed with the promise between them to keep in touch, though it would be difficult until they managed to settle everything.

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Almost two years had passed since Naruto and his team saved the world from Madara, Kaguya and Black Zetsu. Many things have happened since then, in both the Elemental Nations and the rest of the world, for both Naruto and Medaka's group as they had to deal with more adversaries and the restoration of the destruction caused by the Shinju. Thankfully the branches that had spread throughout the world quickly withered away with no more Human sacrifices being used to supply them, allowing civilizations to reconstruct and repair all the damages in no time at all. The Elemental Nations had gone through the worst of it due to them being ground zero of the calamity, but thanks to the newly acquired peace that was formed, there was a lot of trade and progress in advancing forward.

It wasn't long after that that Naruto had visited them to see how they were doing, and was amazed at how Zenkichi was adjusting to his role with his Student Council, but also Medaka's living her life as a normal student to find a new purpose in life. They weren't the only ones to change in appearance as he had also shortened his hair and dressed in a new attire that had a lot less orange than before, much to the shock of his childhood friends.

Another event to play a key role in their lives was something called Jet Black Wedding Feast, involving Medaka choosing a future suitor to marry in the future, though this didn't end exactly as planned as Naruto and Zenkichi arrived and proposed to the girl at the exact same time, leading to even more confusion as Medaka said yes to both blondes… Yeah, that was a confusing time for the two boys as they tried to have the girl chose one of them, only for Medaka to reply that she proposed to the two of them first and didn't see anything wrong with marrying both Naruto and Zenkichi. Apparently, all of members of the Kurokami bloodline had **_way_** too much love in their hearts to believe in the limitations of monotonous relationships.

Not long after, chaos occurred in space at involving the two moons that hovered above the planet. Both were falling towards the Earth for unique reasons, Medaka and Naruto had made it their personal missions to stopping both of them, especially when Hinata and her sister, Hanabi, had been taken by the inhabitant of one of the moons, Toneri. It had been with a heavy heart when Naruto joined up with Medaka after receiving a phone call about her preparing a rocket to fly into space, the two of them leaving their unconscious friends behind as they and members of Naruto's team went to the moons. It got worse for them while in space when Sakura, Sai and Shikamaru left the two alone to their private conversation, where Naruto realized that Medaka was not only scared, but doubted that she would be able return to Earth and did the only thing he could think of.

Placing his hands on her cheeks, Naruto turned her to face him… and kissed her with as much passion as he could. The blue-haired girl was stunned as Naruto's sudden actions before slowly returning his kiss. The two parted with the blonde practically ordering Medaka to survive and come back with him after he defeated Toneri and rescued the Hyuuga sisters. Naruto continued to speak as she silently listened to him tell her that all the things she still needed to do in her life, such as finding a pet that wouldn't be afraid of her… or to make her decision of whether she would marry Naruto or Zenkichi. His words made a large smile form on Medaka's face as she thought back to everything in her life and realized that there was still more that she wanted to do in her life, and made a promise to join up with him after taking out the second moon once she stopped it from falling. Naruto was the first to arrive on the moon where Toneri was located and fought him off thanks to the combined power of his **Complete Kurama Mode** and Hinata being blessed with the deceased Hamura Ōtsutsuki's power, both Ninjas managing to stop the first moon from continuing its destructive path and convert Toneri, who restored the moon to its previous state… but the same couldn't be said for Medaka and the moon she was on, both disappearing before Naruto had a chance to get to her.

Returning to Earth had been one of the hardest things for Naruto as Toneri opened a path that allowed him, as well as both Hinata and Hanabi, to land in a location not too far away from Konoha where Sakura and other members of their squad had already taken the path home. Naruto didn't join the group as they made their way back to the village, dismissing the sad glances he was getting from his friends as they looked back to see him staring up at the night sky where only one remaining moon could be seen. A clear sign that while Medaka had succeeded in her mission to stop the second moon's descent, the promise she made to Naruto was left unfulfilled. Not even Kurama's healing power could sooth the pain in Naruto's heart as the blonde fell to his knees and cried. Journeying to Hakoniwa Academy and informing Zenkichi and the others about what had happened left the entire school silent as they too mourned the loss of the most incredible woman to grace their lives… Only for the familiar voice of Medaka to call out to them as she greeted them with her incredibly injured, yet smirking face. Medaka's injuries only increased when she was tackled by her crying, relieved friends and family members, though the smile on her face shined on through the pain.

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"Hahaha~! Damn that Zenkichi! Planning something like that without even telling me!" Naruto said with a laugh as he leaned over the railings of the Hokage Building, "For you to fight one hundred of Hakoniwa's strongest, that's definitely something he would come up with as a farewell to you."

"Yes, it was. I suppose he's finally surpass me after all this time… Though I suppose the same could be said for you as well." Medaka replied from her seat on the bench as she looked over at Naruto, who blinked in confusion at her words. "Look at you, the Hero of the Elemental Nations and one of the Strongest Ninjas to ever live. Both you and Zenkichi have changed a lot from the two boys that could barely keep up with me when we were children."

Closing his eyes briefly as he removed his right arm off the railing before bringing it closer to his face, glancing down at his bandaged arms and hand as he thought back to his decisive battle with Sasuke. "Of course. With everything we've endured, all of us had to grow up eventually."

"Pfft. As if you've grown up that much. You may be stronger and have a higher rank, but you are still the Baka who used to pull pranks and try ditching his lessons when I wasn't around to stop you, your personality hasn't changed that much."

"Like your one to talk, Medaka-chan! All the stuff you put Zenkichi and me through even when we wanted nothing to do with your plans! It's a miracle that neither of us died with how much you dragged us around even when you didn't even need us." Naruto retorted as he lowered his arm before childishly turning his head away with a pout.

"… I always needed the both of you." The blonde was surprised at Medaka's words as he turned to see that she was now looking down at her hands with a melancholy smile, "If it hadn't been for the two of you, I can easily imagine how awful my life would've turned out… the kind of person I was after losing my memories…"

"But even when you lost your memories, the connection between you and Zenkichi and I never went away. It's like I told Sasuke all those years ago, the bonds we make with people can't be torn apart so easily. Even with the crazy abilities of you Abnormals," Moving closer to Medaka, Naruto took a seat next to her on the bench before placing a hand on top of her head and gently rubbed it. "I know it might sound crazy, but it feels like it was because the three of us met in that hospital that we all set down these paths that we've chosen."

Raising her hand to push her second childhood friend's hand off her head while she shook it in a negative manner, "Your dream of becoming the next Hokage is something you've talked about ever since were children. It was your own drive that pushed you to become something more, the same with Zenkichi. All I did was prove that it was a goal that you could easily reach. In fact, there were times that I was sure that you were the one that pushed the two of us to improve ourselves."

"Maybe so, but you were the goal that both of us strived so hard for. Seeing you walking ahead made us work hard so we could stand by your side," The blonde Jōnin had a large grin on his face as he recalled all of the times that he and Zenkichi would compete against each other or the times when they would try and work together to defeat Medaka at something… those few victories may have been small, but it showed that they were getting closer.

"That's why I believed you two were both real geniuses of hard work." Medaka stated as she recalled saying something similar to Nekomi Nabeshima years ago when she had issued the challenge between Akune and Zenkichi to try and get the latter to join her Judo Club, not that Medaka had any doubt that Zenkichi would lose.

"Heh, says one of the biggest geniuses of them all." Naruto comment made both laugh for a few moments as the "Besides, I'd rather be the fool and the idiot. It's a lot less troublesome when you don't have to worry about all that stuff."

"True, back then, you were one to always avoid the academics unless I forced you. A true idiot to the end."

"Hey! That's just rude!" Naruto exclaimed with twitching eyebrow while Medaka looked back at him with a large grin on her face, one very similar to a certain blue-haired loli friend of theirs.

The air around the two got quiet as the two looked away from each other, the smile on Medaka's face vanishing as she looked down at her hands once again. "I told you before, right? About what I plan on going with the Kurokami Group as soon as I take control of it. I am taking over the group before I turn 20, so that means I have less than a year left."

"Yeah." Naruto replied as he thought back to earlier that day when she suddenly appeared at his front door, telling him about her withdrawal from Hakoniwa Academy and her plans with the Kurokami Group. It had been a conversation that they had held off from continuing as she changed the topic to seeing everyone in Konoha after so long, but now…

"…"

"…"

"… You're not going to go with me either, are you," It wasn't a question as Medaka already knew that Naruto was going to decline her offer, just as Zenkichi did.

"Unfortunately, I can't right now. Believe me, part of me really wants to… but… Right now, my place is in the Elemental Nations and help with maintaining the peace between the villages. Not to mention, Kakashi-sensei is talking about starting my training to be Nanadaime." Glancing to the side, Naruto could see that despite the calm look on Medaka's face, his answer hurt deeply. Reaching a hand out, Naruto took one of her hands into his and wrapped his fingers around hers. It always amazed the Uzumaki to see that regardless of all the fighting and power at her deposal, the dark blue-haired girl's hands were always so soft. "… But that doesn't mean that we can't stay in contact, right?"

His words seem to help her a little as Medaka looked up at him with a smile, "Of course! Don't think you could escape me that easily! One of my plans is to maintain the relations between the Elemental Nations and the Kurokami Group, even make it better for the world itself! With you as the future Hokage, that makes things even easier."

"So, you want to make use of me, huh?" Naruto had a small grin at the familiar tone in her voice, raising one of his arms up to his childhood friend.

"Take advantage of everything available to you and be unpredictable while doing it! That leads to guaranteed victory! That something that I learned from you after all these years!" Medaka as she mirrored his movements and interlocked her arms with his, similar to their actions all those years ago after he and Zenkichi freed her from her brainwashing. The two silently stared into each other's eyes with matching smiles on their faces.

"Hey. Stop struggling, I can't see!"

"They're so cute together!"

"Shh! They'll hear us!"

"Don't push! I said no pushing! A-AAAAAAh!?"

The sounds voices whispering louder than usual could be heard coming from the rooftop doorway, followed by the noise of them swinging open and bodies crashing to the floor. Both Medaka and Naruto whipped around to see a crowd standing on the other side consisting of the Konoha Eleven, as well as Sai, Konohamaru, Iruka, Kakashi, Tsunade and Shizune all. Well, most of them anyways. Lee, Kiba and surprisingly Sakura turned out to be the ones that had fallen into a tumbled mess.

"Damn it, Lee! That's why I told you to stop pushing!" Kiba growled out as he tried to get back onto his feet.

"My apologies! I was just so captivated by their Youthful Flames! It reminds me of Nekomi-san and myself!"

"Don't rub it in!"

"Ow. My head hurts." A closed-eyed Sakura winced as she rubbed the side of her head before coming to a stop lifted her head up to see the two that they were spying on where staring back at the crowd of people. "Heh heh… We got caught."

"W-Why the hell are you guys here?!" Naruto demanded with an anime-style annoyed expression while Medaka had a small smile on her face.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I tried to stop them but…" Shizune tried to apologize only for Tsunade to let out a snort.

The buxom Sannin crossed her arms over her large chest, "Don't even start Shizune. You and Sakura were the ones who told us that they were heading to the roof."

"Tsunade-sama!" The Hokage assistant called out in shocked while the Sixth Hokage placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look back at the silver-haired man.

"Well, it's not like we wouldn't have come up here anyways." Kakashi admitted with others shamelessly nodding their heads in agreement while the more sensible ones kept quiet. "I was curious on if Medaka was going to take our favorite knucklehead away from us."

"So, you guys were spying on us!" Naruto roared as he moved in front of Medaka with an irritated look on his face, the girl saying nothing as a small grin formed on her face at the amusing sight of Naruto moving closer to his friends. It was even more hilarious as he shifted into his **Complete Kurama Mode** with a miniature version of the Bijuu's head taking shape over his shoulders, the pressure around him growing as he made it a few feet away from their audience.

Standing up from her seat, the Abnormal walked closer to the group with a smile on her face as she watched Naruto suddenly take after the fleeing Konoha Eleven, Sai and Konohamaru. The only ones that somehow managed to avoid Naruto were the adults were standing off to the side, a small bead of sweat forming on Kakashi and Tsunade's brows. "You both look relieved that Naruto is going after his friends instead of you guys."

"Of course not, it's just a little hot outside. Summer is just around the corner." Tsunade replied with a nervous smirk on her face.

"I'll admit I'm glad he's not focused on me." Kakashi admitted with a weak laugh. He had seen Naruto deflect five full-power **Tailed Beast Bombs** just by rushing passed them while in his **Kurama Mode**, and that was after training with it for a month as well as Kurama only having half of its true power. Two years later to grow stronger both physically and mentally, possessing a fully restored Kyuubi, as well as the **Six Paths Sage Mode** as his secret weapon… Yeah, if he didn't make Naruto his successor as the next Hokage, than he'd probably be known as the biggest idiot in the history of Konohagakure… probably among the other villages too.

"Are you doing alright, Medaka?" Iruka asked as he looked at the visitor from the Six Continents, it was hard to believe that this was the same young girl that he had met all those years ago, and the one who stopped the second moon from plummeting into the Earth while Naruto was fighting Toneri on the first. He could still remember the broken expression on the blonde's face when he had returned without her. "I was so relieved to hear that you came back alive."

"Thank you for your concern. Luckily, none of the injuries I had sustained were fatal or left any permanent scars." Medaka answered with her usual bright smile, crossing her arms under her chest. "I had heard from Naruto that you were being considered for the position of vice-principal at the Ninja Academy."

Rubbing the back of his head, the scar-faced man look away with a sigh. "Oh, you heard about that? Geez, I told him that it was still up in the air and to keep quiet about it."

"Can't be helped." Kakashi spoke up with his eyes closing as a smile formed under his mask, "That knucklehead sees you as family after all. Just like how it's normal for a parent to be proud of their child when they're doing well, the same can happen in reverse, right?"

"Eh?"

"You **_are_** the closest thing to family that he's got in Konohagakure, even more than the rest of us." Tsunade added as she noticed the surprised look on Iruka's face at the Godaime and Rokudaime's words. "The only ones that are just as important to him are the young lady next to you and Zenkichi Hitoyoshi and his mother back in the Six Continents."

Iruka couldn't find the right words to say after hearing that. But after a few moments of silence, a large warm smile formed on the man's face as he looked back to see a normal Naruto was yelling at his friends with a anime-pissed off expression while the recipients of his anger had smoking lumps on a few of their heads and apologetic expressions as they let the blonde continue. "… Medaka…"

"Hmmm?" The blunette Abnormal turned her head to look at the Chūnin after hearing say her name, blinking a few times at the sight of him facing her with his upper body bowing.

"You know more than anyone how reckless and absent-minded he can be. So, all I can ask is that you take care of him for me. Even if you two don't end up together."

"What are you talking about? I already said yes to both his and Zenkichi's wedding proposals," A confused look replaced the smile Medaka had as she looked away from the older Shinobi, not noticing the uneasy glances they were sending each other. "Although, the two didn't seem to like my answer for some reason. Both have been adamant on me only choosing one of them… But anyways, it's getting late. Naruto! We should head back home to get dinner ready before its too late."

Sweatdrops formed on the back of all four of the grown-ups' heads as they watched the Abnormal walked up to Naruto, who turned his head to look back at her before nodding in agreement and picked her up bridal-style. After saying their farewells, the two departed via Naruto's leaping across the rooftops.

"I suppose that is to be expected from a girl that Naruto fell in love with."

"How can she talk about being in a love triangle as if it was normal? Is it like that back in the Six Continents?!"

"I doubt it. Let's just hope that everything turns out alright for the three of them."

"Only time will tell, I guess… Hopefully they don't wait too long."

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"Wow, you two really got a beating, huh?" A smirking, twenty-three year old Naruto stated and Zenkichi, twenty-two year old, were heading down the hallway leading to the Hakoniwa Academy's Chairman's office where Medaka was currently waiting for them.

"Oh, shut it. After so many years away, how was I supposed to know that the women were going to be changing in there? It's the meeting place for a Shinto Funeral."

Almost four years had passed, going by quickly for everyone as they worked hard on their paths towards the future. Zenkichi had met up with his former classmates only a few minutes before Naruto had shown up. Originally it had been a request from Medaka for everyone to meet up for a reunion of Ajimu's disappearance, but the invitations that Naruto and Zenkichi had come with a p.s. at the end that only had two words.

**_Our Future._**

Neither of them needed to think much to know what she was talking about, though it was weird to bring up the topic now after so long.

It had been great for Zenkichi to see everyone after he decided to focus on working with the Kurokami group, though there had been some surprises at finding out that Akune was engaged to Shori Wanizuka and was the founder of a very successful toy company, while Kikaijima was already married and a few months pregnant. To Naruto's shock, it turned out that the father was Inari, who had grown almost as tall as Naruto, and was the boss of Tazuna Intercontinental Carpenter Company, or TICC, which was at the forefront of many Elemental Nations/Six Continent construction collaborations. They weren't the only intercontinental married couple as Nekomi, who, after being forced to retire after snapping her knee ligament while taking the Olympic gold medal, had decided to tie the knot with Rock Lee and moved to Konoha permanently. When he had last seen the newly named Nekomi Lee, she was putting in paperwork to try and open up a small Judo studio for children, both civilians and those with futures as Shinobis.

"I guess you have been working hard, working with that company that is affiliated with Kurokami group." Naruto replied as he placed his hands behind his head, a frown forming on his face with his eyes scrunched closed. "Both you and Medaka-chan almost became ghosts during all that time with how busy you've been."

"It's not like you've had that much free time either _almost_-_Nanadaime-sama_." Zenkichi smirked as he nudged his childhood friend's side, "I heard through the grapevine about how Kakashi-san is getting things ready for your Hokage Inauguration."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, forming an eye smile as he lowered his arms. "It's still a year or two away from being official. But still, I hope you guys will be able to make it to the Elemental Nations when it finally happens."

"Heh! I don't think that will be a problem for me."

"Huh?" The Shinobi blinked in confusion at Zenkichi's words, watching as the strawberry blonde reached into his suit's inner pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Taking the offered paper from his friend, Naruto unfolded the paper and saw a large filled with different sorts of information about the Kurokami Group and Elemental Nations. "What is this?"

"My transfer papers." Zenkichi answered while placing his hands into his pockets with a grin, "The Kurokami Group is planning on a special project involving the creation of multiple branch companies in a few villages within the Elemental Nations, with Konohagakure being one of them. Thanks to all the hard work that I had put into getting high up in the ranks, as well as the knowledge and experience that I've gained from all the time I've spent there, I was one of the first employees to get approved for the transfer."

"W-Wait… So that means…"

"Yup! I'll be moving to Konoha!" Zenkichi replied as he took the paper back from Naruto before placing back into his pocket, "Once Okaa-san heard about it, she put in the paperwork to move as well. So the two of us will be official citizens before the year is over."

"That's awesome! I can't believe it you guys are moving to the village!" A large grin formed on Naruto's face as he and Zenkichi fist bumped, "Ah! Is the Kurokami Group gonna give you a place to live? If they aren't, you both are staying with me until you find a place! This is so awesome, ya know!" The grin on Naruto's face dimmed a little as a thought came to mind, "Wait, what about Medaka-chan?"

"Idiot, who do you think came up with the project in the first place? As the head of the Kurokami Group, she is gonna be heading the transfer and managing everything from the main office in Konohagakure. Apparently she's already made steps to make sure everything goes smoothly even though she will be relocating."

"I'm not surprised. That woman thinks of everything."

It didn't take the two long to reach the chairman's office with Zenkichi remembering its location, both blondes reaching a surprisingly normal white door at the end of the hallway. But the sight Naruto and Zenkichi saw as soon as they opened the door blew their minds. There, in the middle of the room, was a snoozing Medaka on the floor with at least thirteen different breeds of dogs surrounding her… all of them were shockingly calm and seemed to enjoy the woman's presence.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

"Just look at all them!"

The surprised shouts roused the sleeping Abnormal from her sleep as her eyelid slowly opened and her gaze lazily shifted to the entrance where her childhood friends were standing. Letting out a soft yawn, Medaka lifted herself off of the floor with the dogs backing up a little to give her some room. "Long time no see, Naruto, Zenkichi. You both look so grown up now."

"I could say the same for you, Medaka-chan… Or rather, I'd say you really are an adult now." Zenkichi spoke up as he and Naruto took in the Abnormal's mature body. Just like the two of them, she had changed from how she looked when she was in her teens, and had regrown her hair to reach her lower back. "Y… You've become even more beautiful…"

"Um… Should we be worried about the dogs?" Naruto asked as he noticed that there were even more dogs in the room than originally thought, as several more rushed in close to Medaka and literally created a dogpile on top of the blue-haired woman. It didn't seem to bother her as she enjoyed the loving attention she was getting from all the dogs. "I guess she's finally found out how to attract animals to her."

Though he didn't say anything, Zenkichi couldn't help but feel amazed that the girl had found a new ability to use even with the overwhelming presence she still possessed from **The End**. It was actually a surprise that she still have it, since most of the people who had "skill" and "abilities" were starting to lose them as they were getting older. Besides a small handful of people who still had them, such as Naze and Shiranui, the only other two from their age group that still had their abilities were Medaka and himself, the only Zero… But something in Zenkichi's gut told him that it wasn't just a coincident.

Snapping out of this thoughts, Zenkichi decided to speak up with a frown. "Hey! Why the heck were you sleeping? Today is the fourth anniversary, so seeing you slacking off on your job is…"

"Well, I was doing my job. I simply dozed off after pulling multiple all-nighters on something important I've been working on. It is still a work in progress, but that's to be expected with all of the other side-projects I've been leading at the same time." Medaka explained after pushing off the dogs and making her way to her desk with Zenkichi and Naruto taking a few steps closer. The large group of dogs seemed to sense something was going on and left through the large doggy door in the wall… smart animals.

"Yeah, Zenkichi was telling me about the Kurokami Group setting up a second location in the Elemental Nations." Naruto asked while crossing his arms, "Does it also have to do with this other special project of yours?"

"Heh, I see all those lessons for being the next Hokage have been paying off for you. That's right. It is something that I believe will truly display the human potential at its finest when we have the best from the Kurokami Group, the Six Continents, and the Elemental Nations working together!" Lifting up one of the small stacks of paperwork from her desk, Medaka turned it around for the blondes to see, "Take a good look you two! I am calling it **The Moon-sault Plan**!"

"So you were serious about following through with your plans on restoring the second moon?!" Zenkichi questioned as he studied the paper in Medaka's hand.

"Of course. I did break it, so it's my responsibility to see it's fixed, right?"

"It might sound like an outrageous plan, but if Sasuke and I could replicate the Super Grandpa Sage's jutsu to seal away Kagura in a large satellite, then it should be possible. You've got my support!"

Time seemed to pass by as the three continued to converse about Medaka's plans to restore the second moon, and everything that had happened to the three in the time that they had to go their separate way. Medaka even showed Naruto some of the messages that had been from her **One Hundred Flowers Run** event that Zenkichi had set up for her all those years ago. The strawberry blonde had been both shocked and annoyed that they had been kept in the old **Medaka Suggestion Box**, calling her out on it while Naruto laughed as Medaka answered with her usual matter-of-fact tone. It was comforting in a strange sense. All of them had grown up into respectable adults, each with their own paths and plans for the future, and yet… Through all of the pain, loss, happiness, tears, determination, fear, and emotions they endured, no matter where their journeys had took them. It always returned to the three of them. Smiling happily from just being together. Ever since they met in that nursery two decades ago.

Deciding it was time to shift the conversation to a more important topic, Naruto reached into his back pouch and pulled out the invitation that Medaka had sent him. "… Medaka-chan… about the message you sent…"

Seeing Zenkichi do the same thing, Medaka closed her eyes briefly with the smile still on her face. "Yes… I thought it would be best for us to meet up now before it was too late."

"Too late?"

"Before I lose **The End** forever and Zenkichi loses his abilities as well. After looking at all of the people who have lost their skills, I can conclude that it will happen to us before the year is over… Tell me, you two… Are you still against the thought of me marrying the both of you?" Medaka asked as she looked between the two with a raised eyebrow, only to receive annoyed looks before they answered her question.

"Of course we are!"

"As if that would change!"

Letting out a sigh, Medaka placed a hand on her hip with a disappointed look on her face. "I had a feeling that would be the case… Very well, then I suppose we will need to settle this before the day is done."

"My thoughts exactly." Zenkichi said while he undid his tie and removed his jacket, activating his **Altered God Mode **as his hair turned black and a familiar red cloak of energy formed around his form. Apparently there had been some remnants of Kurama's chakra that remained in his body from the amount that Naruto had given him all those years ago, and reactivated within him during Naruto's fight with the Juubi thanks to the later doing the same with the Shinobi Alliance. "Medaka-chan! Naruto! I challenge the both of you to a duel!"

A smirk formed on Naruto's face as he punched his fist into his bandage palm, shifting into his **Complete Kurama Mode** at the same time with his eyes changing into **Sage Mode.** "Heh, perfect! I was just planning on doing the same thing, ya know!"

"… Well, this office was in need of a remodel anyways." Despite the way her words sounded, Medaka's face showed only excitement and a competitive grin as she stared at the two powered-up forms that her childhood friends possessed. Leaning forward as her hair turned pitch-black and moved about erratically, Medaka finished transforming into her **End God Mode.** "So we are all in agreement? If I win, both of you must marry me!"

"And if either of us wins, you've got to marry the winner!" Zenkichi countered as he raised his arms in front of his torso, "No matter who wins, we'll accept the results and the bonds between the three of us won't break!"

"As if I'd let either of you try!" Spreading his legs apart with a large grin on his face, Naruto readied himself for one of his biggest fights yet.

**"Just don't try to lose an arm this time."** Kurama's voice called out in his head.

"I already had to say goodbye to the both of you once. I have no intention of ever repeat that ever again!" Placing her hands on the ground, Medaka tensed her legs as the excitement within her grew. "So then, shall we begin on three?"

Both Naruto and Zenkichi nodded their heads without saying a word. The tension in the air grew as the energy coming off of the three spread across the room and caused the building to quake under the pressure.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"""THREE!"""

**NUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUM**

**(Epilogue – Ten Years Later)**

"Nanadaime-sama!"

A thirty-three year old Naruto lifted his head up from the documents on his laptop, one of the many technological improvements that the Elemental Nations benefited from thanks to the Six Continents. Spread across the room were his clones, who were looking at paperwork in their hands, copied his actions to see two familiar face entering the room with a panicked expression. "Moegi, Udon, is something wrong?"

"It seems Boruto and Aki are at it again!"

"Seriously?!" The original Naruto exclaimed with an uneasy expression while his clones let out groans as he rose from his seat, slamming the palms of his hands against his desk. "What happened? What did they do?"

"They…"

"It appears they've taken a page from you and your wife's book." Udon finished for Moegi as he adjusted his glasses.

The blonde Hokage was silent for a few moments before letting out a sigh as he face-palmed with his bandaged hand, "Where are they… Wait! Which page?"

"Does it really matter?" Shikamaru, who had become the left-hand man of Naruto's ever since he had become Hokage, crossed his arms as he stared down at his friend/boss. "Anything you did as a kid wasn't exactly simple or tame. It's probably just as troublesome."

Beads of sweat fell down Udon's face, "In any case, we can't let the other villages see it!"

"I guess I better go deal with it…" Naruto said as he rose from his seat, dismissing his clones at the same time. "When the other Kages show up for the **Five Kage Summit**, apologize for my tardiness for me, Shikamaru."

"What should I tell them? They won't be happy if you take too long." The goatee shadow-user replied while he watched Naruto don a short-sleeved long black haori with orange flame-like motifs decorating on the edges, with the kanji for "Seventh Hokage" running down vertically on the back.

Apparently, the blonde had always imagined having a haori just like the Yondaime when he became Hokage, only with his own colors. Under it was a black sweatshirt with orange and blue stripe designs going up the arms and an Uzumaki Clan spiral emblem on the back, and black pants that tucked into metal-toed boots. His right arm was still wrapped in bandages, only these were red in color and left the fingertips bare, and was mostly covered by the sleeve of his sweatshirt except for his hand.

A small smirk formed on Naruto's face as he turned to look at Shikamaru, "Tell them that I'm just going to meet up with my children after asking them to test our village's security and review the openings they found. It's important for Konohagakure as a whole to remain vigilant to any kind of threats, even children setting up their pranks."

"Got it. Take care of it quickly."

With a nod of his head, the three watched as Naruto disappeared in yellow blur. Readjusting his glasses, Udon looked over at Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't aware that the Nanadaime-sama was investigating such a thing."

"That's because he wasn't." Shikamaru said with a shrug of his shoulders, "It's the same excuse he and his friends gave to the Sandaime when they were younger and it ended up improving the Shinobi forces' security and detection. He just said that because he doesn't want his children to get in too much trouble nor make the village look bad."

"Seriously?"

"It must be difficult. Having to juggle between being a father, a husband and being the Hokage."

_'If this were under different circumstances, I'd agree with her. He could've been someone overwhelmed with work and unable to spend time with his family.'_ Shikamaru thought to himself as he looked over at Naruto's desk, where three different photo frames could be seen. The first was an old photo of the blonde's parents just after Minato had become the Yondaime, the second was of Naruto, Medaka and Zenkichi when the three were in their teens and the latter two had visited Naruto after Pein's attack on the village, and the final was a more recent picture of Naruto and his family smiling at the camera. _'That idiot still has some issues, but he doesn't let it get the better of him… Not that his those two would actually let him slip up that badly… what a drag…'_ The Nara let out a heavy sigh at that before making his way out of the office with Moegi and Udon following after him, _'Speaking of which, I wonder where that other troublesome guy disappeared to.'_

**(On Hokage Rock)**

"Hehehe! We're almost fininsh." A young female voice called out as the villagers below caught sight of the paint and graffiti being done to the six Hokage faces on the mountain. "How long until Papa shows up?"

"Probably a few minutes, give or take. We'll need to move quick or he'll get the drop on us, ya know!" This time it was a male voice around the same age that replied back. "Get ready, Aki!"

"Hai, Onii-chan!"

Hanging from two separate ropes, dangling in front of the faces of Hokage Rock, were two eight year old children that were each holding paintbrushes and a bucket. One was a boy with a mostly smooth blonde hair with spiky tips at the side and an ahoge that resembling the stem of a leaf. He was wearing a black jacket with red accents that was left open to reveal a white undershirt and black shinobi pants accompanied by black ninja sandals. The other was a girl with shoulder-length blue hair that had a similar ahoge coming off the top of her head except it was a few inches longer. She was wearing a blue sleeveless shirt that had two yellow lines going vertically down her shirt, a short pink scarf around her neck and a light-blue short skirt with mesh armor on her thighs, elbows and knees, and purple ninja sandals. Unlike the boy, whose eyes were the same color as their father, the girl had heterochromia eyes where one was blue and the other was red, and they have two whisker marks similar to Naruto's three. These two were Boruto and Aki Uzumaki, twin children of Naruto and Medaka Uzumaki, born to the two almost a year after they had gotten married. It had been a long, difficult and very destructive battle between the three, but Naruto had managed to come out the victor and became the one that Medaka would marry.

"And just what are you both getting ready for?" Naruto's voice called out from above their heads, making them look up to see the Nanadaime was standing sideways on the rocky surface above them using his chakra. Upon seeing his father, Boruto tossed away the paint can and started to pull out a shuriken from his pocket, only for Naruto to reappear next to him while grabbing that very same hand. "You don't know when to quit, do ya, Boruto?"

"Using the **Teleportation Jutsu** is cheating!" Boruto struggled to get his arm out of his father's grip, only for Naruto to use his free hand and bonk his son across the head.

"Oh, shut it!" The older blonde retorted before glancing over at Aki, who gained an uneasy look on her face at her father's stare. Glancing down at the crowd below them, Naruto moved quickly and grabbed both children by their waists before running up the mountain. "Good. Now we've got no one to bother us… You two just had to make a mess of things on such an important day, didn't you?"

"…"

"…"

"Heh," Naruto let out a sigh as he stared down at the twins, reaching out and rubbed the top of their heads. "Nice try. But next time, try not to get caught before you finish."

"Huh?" Boruto blinked a few times as he felt his father's hand remove itself from his head. "You're… not angry?"

"Of course I am!" The Nanadaime replied with a stern look, making his children freeze up at his sudden change in tone. "You both are gonna clean up your mess right now, and then I'm taking you home!"

"But what about the meeting with other Kages?" Aki asked before a thought occurred to her with a frown quickly forming, "You a clone, aren't you?"

"Of course he is, as if the **_Hokage_** has time to come here personally-AH!?" Boruto's sarcasm was halted as Naruto's bandaged fist bonked him across the head once again.

Naruto placed his hands on his hips, "I am not a Shadow Clone. So drop the attitudes, ya know!"

"Can you really blame them?" A familiar voice spoke up, making the twins' father turn to see a thirty-two year old Zenkichi walking up to them with an amused grin on his face. "You have been really busy lately, especially with all the meetings and works you both've been doing."

"With almost no help from you. Isn't that why you and Shikamaru became my left and right hand men?" Naruto replied with a deadpanned expression as he watched his childhood friend/Hokage Assistant walk up to the three. Not much had changed physically for Zenkichi in the ten years after that three-way battle between them and Medaka, except for the pair of glasses that he now wore almost all the time now. Getting rid the jacket of his black suit, Zenkichi now kept a black vest over his dress shirt and a red tie that had Konoha's symbol on it. A worn out leather bracelet was wrapped around his wrist with a metal plate on it that had two kanjis, one saying Kurokami while the other was Shinobi.

"Zenkichi-ojisan!?" Boruto exclaimed in surprise at the man's arrival.

"Hey, the first thing I told you was that I had no intention of doing your job for you. I've still got a crap load of stuff that I have to take care of for you." Zenkichi stated while placing a hand in one of his pockets.

Upon his transfer to Konoha, the strawberry blonde had worked hard with his job for the Kurokami Group and the village, being at the center of the intercontinental projects that were taking place in the Elemental Nations. He even worked hard to help with Medaka's **Moonsault** **Plan** and rose even higher up the ranks, before deciding to become one of Naruto's assistants once the later became Hokage. Some had called Zenkichi crazy for pulling a joint career of the two, but after working with Medaka and the Kurokami group for so long he had gotten quite the handle on it.

"So what brings you up here? I didn't see you in the office earlier?

"I was taking care of a few things. Shikamaru gave me a call on my cellphone and informed me that you were going after the twins before leaving me a message to tell you. The other Kages have all arrive and are waiting for you." Zenkichi informed as he brought up his hand to push up his glasses, "We can't really push back the meeting time since Kirigakure and Iwagakure are currently facing some issues back in their villages."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he turned his head towards the Hokage Building, "Yeah, it wouldn't be fair to them, huh?" Closing his eyes in thought, Naruto let out a soft hum for a few seconds before reopening his eyes. Turning back to look at his children, Boruto avoiding his gaze while Aki had a sad expression on her face, Naruto smiled softly at them. His time of when he was isolated as a child when Medaka and Zenkichi weren't there and the pranks he pulled flashed through his mind, with a child silhouette of him appearing behind the twins. "… Painting the Hokage Rock to get my attention… You both really are my kids, even with those brilliant minds you inherited from your mother."

"…"

"…"

"… Boruto… Aki…" Kneeling down to their levels, Naruto placed his hands on each twins' shoulder before bringing them into a hug. "I know that you aren't happy with me being Hokage and your mother running the Kurokami Group, especially since it can take our attention away from you both at times… But no matter what you both might think, the two of you are the most important treasures that Medaka-chan and I have."

"Then stay here and clean the mess up with us, ya know!" Boruto demanded as he rested his chin on Naruto's left shoulder. The older Uzumaki could feel Aki nodding in agreement against his right shoulder.

"Unfortunately I can't stay. The meeting is really important, and the last thing I want is for there to be issues between the villages… However," A small smirk formed on Naruto's face as he pulled back to look at his son and daughter, "If you don't mind waiting a bit, I'll come back and help you get rid of whatever paint is left. Sound good?"

Aki's eyes widened at her father's offer before large smile formed on her face. "Of course it does! Right, Onii-chan?"

The two watched as the older twin was about to say something with a smile before pausing, and replaced it with an indifferent as he turned his head away while crossing his arms. "Whatever. If you want to help us so bad, I won't stop you."

_'Tsundere?' _Zenkichi thought to himself with a shocked expression, having a strong sense of déjà vu.

"But if you go back on your word, I swear I'll do everything I can to make you pay with the worst pranks I can think of! And they'll be painful too!" Boruto threatened with a dark aura around him.

Zenkichi gawked at his godson's words, _'Yandere?!"_

"Onii-chan!" Aki frowned with a cute pout on her face.

Hearing his sister call out to him, the aura around Boruto disappeared as he looked up at his dad with a small smile. "So don't take too long with your meeting. It'd be nice for all of us to have dinner together again, ya know."

_'Now he's turned Kuudere?!'_ It took him a few seconds, Zenkichi could only shake his head and laugh at the trio in front of him, _'… You're just like your mother, Boruto.'_

"It's a promise then." Naruto stated as he rose to his feet, placing his hands on his hips. "Looking forward to a home-cooked meal after being so busy recently."

"Boruto! Aki! I can help out if you want?" A young, female voice called out, catching the twins' attention to see a girl their age with dark-blue straight bangs and a hime-cut, and blue eyes. She was wearing a purple jersey under a mostly zipped up yellow jacket with a white hoodie, a pink skirt over black spats and the traditional ninja sandals.

"Himawari!" Aki called out with a smile at seeing her best friend walking up to them. This girl was Himawari Hitoyoshi, the daughter of Zenkichi and Hinata.

A relationship had formed between the two a little after the Kurokami Group and its employees had moved to Konoha, which continued to grow as they started dating and attended Medaka and Naruto's wedding as a couple. Not many had seen it coming, but that didn't mean they weren't happy for the two, Zenkichi's childhood friends were especially happy for them and actually nudged the strawberry blonde to finally pop the question. The trio had been happy to see that their friendship had continued onto the next generation, with how much the three got along. Though Boruto refused to admit to it at first… until Himawari looked at him with the **Puppy-Eyes Jutsu** and he cracked under the pressure.

"You can help if you want, Himawari, just make sure they don't wander off." Zenkichi ordered to his daughter, who saluted to the man with a large smile on her face.

"Aye, aye!"

"Don't you worry about that Nanadaime-sama! I'll be keeping a good eye on him!" The group of five turned to see an adult brunette landing in a crouched position near them. He was wearing black shirt with dark blue pants, black sandals and an open green jacket, with a long blue scarf draped over his shoulders. "Don't think I didn't see that shuriken in your hand earlier, Boruto!"

"Why are you here, Konohamaru-sensei…?" Boruto asked with a confused look on his face, one that was mirrored on his sister's face.

A twitch mark formed on the back of Konohamaru's head, "What do you mean?! Of course I'd be here if my students are doing something reckless and intending to harm the Hokage!"

_'… Didn't you do the same thing to your grandfather…?'_ Naruto thought to himself with a sweatdrop as he clearly remembered a much younger Konohamaru barging into the room where he and the Sandaime were talking with a kunai in hand, only to trip on his own scarf as soon as he took his first step. _'… Oh well… Probably be better not to mention it now.'_

"Boruto, Aki, do your best until I get back. The Hitoyoshi are going to be joining us for dinner tonight, so this graffiti needs to be cleaned up before it gets too late." Naruto revealed with a smile on his face, "Hitomi-obasan is joining us too."

"Hitomi-obaachan! Awesome!"

"She's been in the Six Continents for a while."

"I wonder if she's got any presents for us!"

**(Back in to Hokage Building)**

"So, how did you know I'd be there?"

A small chuckle escaped Zenkichi's lips as he and Naruto were walking down the hallway leading to the **Five Kage Summit** meeting room, "Himawari mentioned that Boruto was bragging about a 'killer prank' and how Aki had gotten all of the tools they needed for it. After hearing about it mostly being paint supplies, it didn't take long to figure out where they were going. I also figured that you would go there personally since you've been working so much lately and pulling all-nighters the past few weeks."

"Well I can't help it if I miss spending time with my children. I'm usually too exhausted to even keep my eyes open, let alone talk to them if they're still awake. There only time I get to have any kind of conversation with them is in the morning during breakfast, and it's been difficult lately." Naruto admitted with a frown, "Boruto's been avoiding me lately, while Aki mostly goes to Medaka about things."

"So, I take it that the twins have no idea about what you guys are planning?"

Shrugging his shoulders with an amused smirk, Naruto unsealed his Hokage Hat from the seal on his weapons pouch. "Nah, we decided that it be great to surprise them. The only thing they know about later is that your family and Hitomi-obasan are joining us for dinner."

"Well, Okaa-san basically took the little ones from Hinata before she could say anything. I swear, I don't know which is the more doting grandparent, her or Hinata's dad." Zenkichi let out an awkward chuckle as they turned the corner, where they were greeted by Shikamaru, who was standing several feet away from the Kage Meeting room.

"You're late."

"I know. But I'm here now." Naruto answered as the doors opened to reveal the other Kages already seated at the table with their bodyguards standing behind them, "Sorry for being late! I had some last minute security checks to take care of."

The Fifth Raikage, Darui, nodded his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Yes. Shikamaru-san already informed us. We all have busy schedules after all, so it is understandable."

"Would've been nice for you to take of that prior to our meeting. You actually live in this village and you're the last one to show up." Kurotsuchi, the Fourth Tsuchikage, pointed out with a small frown. "Especially when you wanted us to meet on an earlier date than originally planned."

"He wasn't too late, and the village security affects us as well. Besides, if they actually had a schedule for such a thing, then there would be no point to a security check." Chōjūrō the Fourth Mizukage defended as he crossed his arms, "But now that he is here, we can begin, right?"

Gaara nodded in agreement before speaking up. "I agree. The personal chats can wait until after the meeting. You had something important to tell us in regards to Sasuke Uchiha investigation, right?"

"That's right." Naruto replied as he watched up to the remaining chair located at the table before taking a seat with Shikamaru and Zenkichi standing behind him, "But that is only one topic of discussion. As you know, my wife Medaka and her Kurokami Group have been working on several intercontinental projects after completing her **Moonsault Plan **last year…"

**(Uzumaki Residence After Sundown)**

"We're home!" Naruto called out as he, Zenkichi and their children made their way into the Uzumaki Household.

Thankfully, the **Five Kage Summit** hadn't run as long as Naruto had originally thought it was going to take, and allowed the man to follow through on his promise to his children. He actually took it a step further and taught them a **Water Release Jutsu** that actually made the cleaning go a lot smoother, as well as get his children excited at the new technique they learned from their father.

"Welcome home, you lot!" A smiling Hitomi greeted the five as they removed their footwear, walking up to them with an infant in her arms. Besides a few streaks of grey in her hair and nearly unnoticeable wrinkles, not much had change to the fifty-six year old's youthful appearance.

"Granny Hitomi!"

"It's great to see you, Hitomi-obaachan! How was your trip?"

"Did ya bring us anything from the Six Continents?"

Hitomi only laughed at the greetings she was getting from her granddaughter and honorary grandchildren, "I brought you back plenty of gifts! But you won't get any until after dinner, so get washed up before we sit down."

"""Yes Ma'am!"""

Zenkichi let out a heavy, amused sigh as he watched his daughter and her friends rushed passed him to get themselves cleaned up for dinner. "Seems like nothing changes, huh, Naruto?"

"Maybe, but that really isn't a bad thing… Just as long as Aki doesn't go on a kissing spree like Medaka did at her age." Naruto replied with an uneasy grin while Hitomi simply laughed at her son and his best friend's conversation.

"I wouldn't doubt it. She does seem like the one who inherited more of the Kurokami genes," Hitomi stated before feeling the baby in her arms pat her cheek and saw the familiar red eyes of her youngest honorary grandchild looking back at her, "Well, besides you, Yumi-chan~!"

"Mnyah!" The infant exclaimed as she started to fidget as she caught sight of her father, reaching out her hands to the whiskered man.

"Hey there, Yumi-chan~!" Naruto cooed as he took his one year old from the short woman, raising his excited daughter into the air with a smile. "Were you a good girl for Grandma Hitomi?"

"Aaah-haha~!" Yumi squealed as she enjoyed being high up, a small yet noticeable ahoge swaying back and forth to match her mood.

"Papa!" Zenkichi looked down to see a strawberry-blonde toddler looking up at him with a bright smile on her face, the lavender eyes of the **Byakugan** staring up at him with her arms raised. "Up, pwease!"

"Hi there, Natsumi-chan!" A smiling Zenkichi greeted as he picked the girl up and brought her in close so she could hug him, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Aah~! Your hugs always give me so much energy after a long day!"

"Well, well, haven't you two become quite the doting fathers. Should we be jealous?"

"Oh stop it, Medaka. I think it's sweet to see them with the girls."

The two men turned their heads to see their wives staring back at them from the kitchen door, Medaka crossing her arms under her chest with a teasing grin on her face while Hinata was giggling into her hand. The years had only seemed to enhance the beauty of the two women as they married and became mothers, while maintaining their attractive figures. Medaka was wearing a broken suit with a white top that had a dark section at the center with six buttons and light-blue pants that reached her open-toed, strappy black sandals with high heels. The suit had an Uzumaki emblem on the back. Hinata had recently decided to cut her hair into bob-style reaching her shoulders, and wearing a light purple short-sleeved jacket, a long-sleeved white shirt with a two pink colored strips underneath it, light brown shorts and purple open-toed boots.

"Welcome home, Naruto! Good to see you, Zenkichi!" Medaka greeted with a warm smile on her face.

Hinata bowed her head lightly before raising it to smile at Zenkichi, "Thank you for all your hard work."

Both Naruto and Zenkichi couldn't help but smile at their wives' greetings before making their way further into the house, Medaka snatching Yumi out of Naruto's hands to his disappointment. The Hokage pouted a little before sniffing the air as a delicious aroma filling the air. "Something smells great!"

"You like it? It's actually a new recipe that Hinata was teaching me how to make." Medaka explained as she rocked Yumi back and forth with a satisfied look on her face, "I've been wanting her to show me how to do it for a while, but work has been so busy that I never got the chance until now."

"So that's why you were do persistent on all of us getting together." Zenkichi deduced as he held Natsumi with one arm while placing his free hand on his hip, "Don't go using my wife like some on-call service."

Raising her hands up in a calming manner as she walked up to her husband from behind, Hinata had a reassuring smile on her face. "It's not like it's an inconvenience, dear. Besides, it brings the whole family together, so I don't mind it if we can all have fun and be happy together."

"You're way too kind, Hinata." Zenkichi weakly complained to his wife, even though he was happy to hear her words.

_'Things turned out even better between them than we could have ever thought.'_ Medaka and Naruto thought to themselves as they watched the married couple converse, before hearing the sounds of footsteps making their way into the kitchen as well as the sounds of whining.

"Ah! Come back, Midori! Yuuto!"

"Stop, Aki! You know that they can't handle being around you yet!"

Naruto and the other adults turned their attention to the direction of the shouting as two dogs, a Chocolate Labrador with green eyes and a Chow Sheperd, ran into the hallway from the room that the kids were originally located. Aki emerged from the room after the dogs with a dejected expression with a panicking Boruto and Himawari following the heterochromia girl. Both Naruto and Zenkichi had amused smirks on their faces at the nostalgic scene while Medaka had a pout on her face as both dogs rushed behind her legs with a scared looks. Unfortunately for Aki, out of all the things she had inherited from her mother, the girl's luck with animals was not that great thanks to her overwhelming presence, which while not as bad as her mother when she was her age, it still meant that animals tended to keep their distance away from her. Boruto had lucked out since he got more of his father's traits with his mother's intellect, which meant animals preferred him over his sister.

"B-But I just wanted to play~!" Aki had anime waterfall tears falling down her face as she huddled in the corner with a depressing aura coming off her body. "I have to be the worst human in existence!"

The Hokage tried his best to suppress his laughter as he walked up to his daughter's side and rubbed the top of her head, "Don't worry about it too much, Aki. Your mother had the same problem when she was around your age, you just have to work on your approach, ya know?"

"D-Did that work for Mama?"

"… Eventually." Naruto replied while averting his gaze as to not meet the teary look on his daughter's face, not having the heart to tell her how it took Medaka reaching adulthood for her presence to become one that attracted animals rather than repel. At the same time, it was also because of Medaka's abnormality mostly fading away, something that neither of his children had, which made it almost uncharted territory on how to help Aki. "B-But I'm sure you'll figure it out even faster than she did!"

"Really?"

This time is was Medaka who answered, "Of course! You're a very smart young girl, and let's not forget that you've got your father, Boruto and I to help you out. But that's tomorrow's problem! It's time for dinner!"

**(Later That Evening)**

"That was really delicious Medaka-san." Hitomi smiled as she held a sleeping Yumi in her arms, watching as Medaka was pouring a pot of fresh tea into the several cups on the table where all of the adults were situated while the kids were watching an old Princess Gale movie on the television. Well, to be more exact, Himawari and Aki were watching the movie while Boruto was playing a new video game that Hitomi had brought back from the Six Continents. "It's nice to be back in the Elemental Nations after visiting the Hakoniwa Hospital after it was rebuilt. Everybody there has been working hard to improve all of the medical practices over there. Aka-san has even mention their new regenerative medicine has been making steady progress from all the research notes I read while I was there."

"Regenerative medicine, huh? Lee had mentioned it to me the other day that the Hakoniwa Hospital had been in contact with Nekomi about healing up those injuries that she sustained from the Olympic. I'm sure those two are really hoping for positive results," The blonde Shinobi recalled his Taijutsu-only friend talking about how his wife really wanted to be more involved in their son's, Metal Lee's, training.

Upon hearing that, Medaka and Zenkichi were certain that what Nekomi really wanted was to pass down everything she knew so that Metal could become the next **Foul King**.

"If I remember correctly, weren't they going to combine the **Regeneration Ability** with the Hashirama Senju's cells that Tsunade-sam, Sakura-san and her Medical-nin had managed to acquire after the Fourth Shinobi War…? It's what they used to give Naruto his prosthetic arm." The former Abnormal mentioned while taking a seat next to her husband, "Last I heard from her, Onee-sama was using those cells as well to assist with the Sanitized Flask Plan's research. They've been making great strides over the fifteen years since taking the reins."

"As expected from Naze-sensei," Zenkichi muttered with a shaky smile, Natsumi sitting on his knee and playing with a stuffed panda bear that her grandmother had given her, "If anyone can make all the progress the Flask Plan has achieved from their research beneficial to society in impactful ways, it's her and the others from the original Class 13."

Wrapping her fingers around the teacup in front of her, Hinata stared at the green liquid inside of it. "It certainly sounds like our generation are making the biggest changes in the world, both here in the Elemental Nations and in the Six Continents. All of us are working to making things better for our children and the generations that will follow us, while inspiring them to maintain the peace that we've done everything we can to achieve. Hopefully they won't have to go through the pain of loss that we had to go through…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Soon, the four heard Medaka let out a soft laughter and turned to look at her. "I'm positive that we won't have to worry about that. Even if there are people who will try and create conflict, as long as we continue to lead the next generation down the right path, everything will be fine… That's why I love humanity so much."

"Hmph, as expected of Medaka-chan." Zenkichi replied with a smirk, before shifting his gaze to where the kids were sitting, "But anyways, don't you have something that you wanted to focus on instead."

"I guess you're right about that… Boruto, Aki! Your mother and I have something we want to show you." Naruto called out to the two. Upon hearing their father call out to them, the twins made their way up to the man and saw him holding out a pamphlet of some kind to the two.

"What's this?" Boruto asked as he took the pamphlet from his father to see that it was for a cruise ship, one of the new forms of travel entertainment that was being made for travel between the Elemental Nations and the Six Continents. "A ship?"

"That's not just any ship! You're looking at the **Shippuden**, a cruise ship that has a full three-week travel period that starts from Wave Country and takes its passengers to various places located in the Europe and Asia continents!" Medaka explained with a look of triumph on her face, placing her hands on her hips as a large smile formed. "It is a side project that I've been working on for the Elemental Nations, one that is guaranteed to make it to the most exhilarating experience with all of the activities and destinations that the passengers can experience!"

"Okaaaaaaay? But what's that got to do with us? It's not like we can g… No way!" Aki's eyes widened in shock as she realized what her parents were driving at, something that occurred to Boruto as well after a few seconds. "B-But what about your workloads and responsibilities? You always talk about how important they are!"

"Heh! That's exactly why we've been working so hard these past few months. We've been taking care of all the important stuff and getting it outta the way so we could surprise you with a family vacation. Kakashi-sensei has agreed to handle all of the Hokage work while your Uncle Maguro watches over the Kurokami Group for your Mom."

"After a lot of reluctance and swallowing my pride…" Medaka muttered to herself with a deadpanned expression as she remembered called her brother with the request, having to ask in such a cutesy voice left her a little dead inside… But it was worth it so she could see the smiles on her family's faces. "It won't just be us, Himawari and her family are coming as well!"

"Really?!" The young Hitoyoshi's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her parents, who nodded their heads in agreement. "YATTA!"

"… So the whole time that you guys have been working so late and being busy all the time… was so that we can all go on a family vacation?" Boruto questioned as the hand holding onto the pamphlet trembled a little. He could remember the exhausted looks on his parents' faces and how much angry he had gotten because they were barely spending time with him or his sisters… but now, he only felt bad. The young blonde felt a familiar hand place itself on top of his head and rubbed it, making him look up to see his father's smiling face. "… Tou-chan…"

A smile on Naruto's face grew as he felt Medaka walk up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder, "So what do you guys say? Think it be cool enough for you guys to go on vacation with your parents?"

"…"

"…"

"But… as soon as we come back… you guy will haveta go back to work, ya know?" Boruto finally said as he averted his gazes to the ground, his sister mimicking her twin's actions and looked down as well.

"… It's to be expected with our jobs, Boruto." Naruto replied as he and Medaka exchange a look, signaling for the later to say something as well.

"That's why it's even more important to treasure the moments we do have together. There were plenty of times that your father and I couldn't be together because we lived in two different parts of the world." Behind the two, Hitomi and Zenkichi went silent at her words, that it was the same for them when they had to leave Naruto behind or see him off when it was time for him to return home, knowing full well that he would be alone the almost entire time. Hinata's gaze drifted to the teacup in her hand as she remembered multiple times when she had seen Naruto been isolated by most of the village except for a small group that included her, Iruka, and the other members of the Konoha Rookie 9. "Going through that kind of separation is the last thing that either of us could want for you both, or your baby sister."

"I know that things might be difficult for you guys right now, but all we can ask is that you guys try and endure it. If there are anyone in your generation that can handle it, the two of you would be right there at the top!" The twins stared up at Naruto and saw the large, comforting grin on his face, as well as the smiling Medaka just behind him. "You are the children of two of the most badass parents on the planet, ya know!"

**(A Few Hours Later)**

"Hm hmm hmm-hmm~" Letting out a gentle hum, Medaka was sitting on the couch as she was reading a book with one leg crossed over the other and her head resting on her propped up arm. Midori and Yuuto were resting at her feet with content looks since they were no longer exposed to Aki's presence and could enjoy Medaka's calming aura. The humming came to a halt as she felt a hard, rectangular object tap against the back of her head, though Medaka didn't bother turning her head. "I take it Aki and Boruto had finally fell asleep. You certainly took your time, huh?"

"Aki was still excited that we get to go on a family vacation, and I had to take Boruto's game console away. That kid was trying to sneak it under his blankets and planned on playing it after I left the room." Naruto replied as he walked around the couch and sat himself next to his wife before placing Boruto's game console on the table in front of them, glancing over at her to see she was still reading her book. "How do you always manage to put Yumi down so fast?

"That's my secret~!" Medaka replied with a sly smirk, which grew a little as Naruto snatched the book out of her hand. "I was still reading that."

Taking a good look at the title of the book, Naruto blinked in surprise. "I thought this looked familiar. It's Ero-Sennin's **Tales of a Gutsy Ninja**! I haven't seen this in years!"

"I found it when the kids and I were cleaning up on my day off." The bluenette explained as she took the book back from her husband, finding the last page she was reading within seconds. "This is the third time I've read it, and yet it is still an enjoyable read."

"I'm sure Ero-Sennin would've been happy to hear that," A soft chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he looked up at the ceiling. "Wish he could've been there to see me become Hokage, or even how my life has turned out."

Finally lifting her head up from the book, Medaka looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have any regrets?"

"Of course not. I achieved my dream, married the woman I love and share three awesome kids with her. I even managed to bring peace to the Elemental Nations like he wanted, while working towards spreading that peace to the rest of the world. I'm sure if he was still alive, that Super Pervert would be seething in jealousy… or maybe he'd be proud…" Naruto mused, the image of Jiraiya smirking and laughing flashing through his mind. "… Oh, I just remembered!"

"Hm? What are you yelling about all of a sudden? You keep doing that and you wake everybody up." Medaka questioned, the dogs perking up quickly at Naruto's raised voice to prove her point. But the woman's attention focused on one of Naruto's hands that reached into his pocket before pulling out something that surprised her. "Is that…?"

A grinning Naruto stated as he held up a piece of paper with the number 101 with his name on it and a corsage of flowers that had seven different colors, ""Yup! It's your final Flower Message! I never got to take part in Zenkichi's event back then since I wasn't part of Hakoniwa Academy, so I thought about making one myself, ya know!"

Marveling at the beautiful corsage at the top of Naruto's Flower Message, Medaka looked up at her husband with a confused look. "I've never seen a flower like those before… But why make a Flower Message now?"

"What you're looking at is a Jofuku Flower, one of the rarest flowers in the world since it can only grow in a specific forest here in the Land of Fire!" Lifting up the flower in front of him, Naruto had a sheepish grin as he scratched the side of his cheek with his free hand finger. "To be honest, I first thought about doing this years ago when we were about to get married. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the right thing to say… But now I finally managed to think of the perfect words. So what do ya say? Up for a quick match to take this from me?"

"Hehehe, even after all these years you still find ways to surprise me." Placing a bookmarker between the pages, a competitive grin formed on Medaka's face as she closing the book and placing it on the sofa next to her. Rising to her feet, the bluenette met with Naruto's gaze while clenching her hands into tight fists. "Very well. I accept your challenge!"

Making their way outside, the two came to a stop several feet away from the house on the front lawn. Doing several stretches and loosening up his body, Naruto was the first one to speak as he got into a fighting pose. "This'll be a straight fight like usual. No gimmicks, no set-ups or Jutsu. Just the two of us having a normal sparring match."

"Alright then! I hope you don't try and play the "I'm exhausted" card when I win!" Medaka replied with her fists at her sides, "I'm gonna take that Flower Message from you!"

A gentle breeze brushed passed the two as they stared at each other with large grins on their faces, waiting for any kind of signal to begin their battle. Their silent request was answered by a single falling leaf that fell off a nearby tree and was slowly gliding down to the ground, taking its time with its descent until it finally reached between the two and hit the grassy floor. Not even a second later, both husband and wife charged forward and met with a collision of their fists. Their match continued on for a good portion of the night, but eventually Medaka managed to get her hands on the Flower Message and the two would bring the day to an end by retreating to their bedroom with a happy Medaka tackling Naruto to the bed as soon as she finished reading Naruto's message.

**_*No. 101 Naruto – You gave an abnormal friendship, showed me an abnormal life, and gave me an abnormal family. I enjoy spending every second I can with the family you gave me!*_**

**NUMKNUMKNUMKNUMKNUMKNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUMNUMKNUM**

_And with this, **An Abnormal Friendship** has reached its epilogue! That actually took longer than I thought, nevertheless I'm happy that I wrote this three-shot. I'm sure some of you were either against some of the ways I handled things at various points in each chapter, but I don't regret my choices. ALSO, if there are any questions you have about parts of the story that weren't included, feel free to ask me. So, like always be sure to leave some nice reviews, but remember that all flames and insults will be IGNORED, so don't bother writing them. I hope you enjoyed reading this story and I look forward to seeing you again in one of my other works._

_A/N: I am working on_**_ Dhampir of Yokai Academy_****_, which will be the next update._**

**_Thanks for reading!_**


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